We are all familiar with the power of music. A beautiful, soulful song can mend a broken heart, heal the soul, and add beauty to a mundane and ordinary day. 

Yes, music is powerful. But some melodies stay with you longer than others, and perhaps all through your life. These are the ones you reach out to on a bad day – when things aren’t quite going the way you’d want them to. 

More often than not, the common element in these songs is the composer, music maestro AR Rahman. As the legendary artist turns 55 today, here’s a list of some of his songs that work as instant mood-lifters.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive. It cannot possibly be. 

1. Kun Faya Kun

‘Jab Kahin Pe Kuch Nahi Bhi Nahi Tha, Wahi Tha, Wahi Tha’

A blend of Sufi music and Rahman’s genius could only have been magical. Kun faya kun, which spans beyond six minutes, could go on for fifteen and we wouldn’t mind. No matter where you are, or what you are doing, this composition can take you to another world, where there’s just you, your God, and bliss. 

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2. Agar Tum Saath Ho

‘Tum saath ho ya na ho kya fark hai, Bedard thi zindagi bedard hai’

No other song could have better portrayed the complex, raw, and human relationship that Ved and Tara shared in Tamasha, than this beauty. Sung by Alka Yagnik and Arijit Singh, it truly captures what heartbreak feels like. 

3. Raanjhanaa 

‘Raanjhanaa hua main tera, Kaun tere bin mera, Rounaqein tumhi se meri, Kaun tere bin mera, Tera hai chaar chuphera, Kaun tere bin mera’

A love that knows no bounds, a love that sees nothing but the lover, a love that is all-consuming. Raanjhanaa captures this love, and Dhanush dancing to it, oblivious of the people around him, unhinged by the traffic honking behind, only adds to its beauty. In fact, this whole album is a testament to Rahman’s genius (case in point: Tum Tak).

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4. Rehna Tu

‘Tujhe badalna na chahoon, Rati bhar bhi sanam, Bina sajawat milawat, Na jyaada na hi kaam’

This list would be incomplete without this soulful composition from Delhi 6. Sung by Rahman himself, the song describes unconditional love, in its truest form. 

5. Luka Chuppi

‘Aaja saanjh hui mujhe teri fikar, Dhundhla gayi dekh meri nazar aa ja na’

If music could ever capture a mother’s love for her child, it could only have been in a Rahman composition. No words could possibly do justice to this beauty, sung by none other than Lata Mangeshkar. Listen to this, and call your mom immediately after. You wouldn’t be able to help it.  

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Notably, Rahman has composed songs in multiple languages, namely Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Persian, English and even Chinese. This list only includes a fraction of his Hindi songs, and a tiny fraction at that.