Varunnu Njangal by Benzeera Rasheed

Some songs are made for a single moment. Varunnu Njangal is made for all of them. Rashid Ahmed has a history of strong work, and the music on Varunnu Njangal is among the most memorable of it.

The voice of Benzeera Rasheed carries Varunnu Njangal effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. The connection between a talented ensemble cast and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

In 2020, Malayalam produced many songs, but Varunnu Njangal was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

Running to 5:31, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Malayalam in recent memory — and the numbers agree.