Tharakam Chimmumpole by Afsal

Tharakam Chimmumpole works because it does not try to do too much — it finds one feeling and holds it perfectly. Credit goes to Joji Johns for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

Afsal understood what this song required and delivered it without excess — the restraint itself becomes the emotion. Hearing Tharakam Chimmumpole without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Tharakam Chimmumpole.

By the end of 2020, Tharakam Chimmumpole had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

The 4:14 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. The track stands as evidence that Afsal and Joji Johns, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.