Tim Tim Chamka Jhilmil Tara - Ishk Ishk Ishk by Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar

Some songs are made for a single moment. Tim Tim Chamka Jhilmil Tara - Ishk Ishk Ishk is made for all of them. R.D. Burman's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

Every line Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. On screen, Dev Anand, Zeenat Aman, Kabir Bedi, Premnath, Shabana Azmi, Nadira Babbar bring the emotional world of the song to life in a way that enhances rather than competes with the music.

The song dates from 1974, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. Listeners have described the experience of Tim Tim Chamka Jhilmil Tara - Ishk Ishk Ishk differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

Running to 4:40, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The track stands as evidence that Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar and R.D. Burman, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.