Yaaram - Ek Thi Daayan by Vishal Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan, Clinton Cerejo

Not every song from Ek Thi Daayan lingers, but Yaaram - Ek Thi Daayan is the one that stays. The music, composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, carries the song forward with a confidence that matches the performance.

Every line Vishal Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan, Clinton Cerejo sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. The story told by Emraan Hashmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechlin, Huma Qureshi in Ek Thi Daayan finds its musical expression here — Yaaram - Ek Thi Daayan is where the film's heart beats loudest.

The song dates from 2013, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. Some music is background. Yaaram - Ek Thi Daayan demands attention — not aggressively, but in the way a good conversation does.

The concision of Yaaram - Ek Thi Daayan — just 4:53 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.