Kesariya (song)

"Kesariya" is a song by Indian singer-composer Pritam, featuring singer Arijit Singh. Written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and produced by Pritam, it was released as a single on July 17, 2022 via Sony Music India, and was featured on the soundtrack album of the 2022 Indian film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva.

"Kesariya"
Official song cover
Single by Pritam featuring Arijit Singh
from the album Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva
Language	Hindi
Released	17 July 2022
Recorded	2020–2022
Genre	Dance pop soft rock
Length	4:29
Label	Sony Music India
Composer(s)	Pritam
Lyricist(s)	Amitabh Bhattacharya
Producer(s)	Pritam
Music video
"Kesariya" on YouTube

The song was also released in Telugu as "Kumkumala", in Tamil as "Theethiriyaai", in Kannada as "Kesariya Rangu" and in Malayalam as "Kunkumamaake". "Kesariya" peaked at #1 on Billboard India, and UK Asian charts. Song crossed over 500 million views on YouTube as of October 2023. In April 2024, the song surpassed 500 million streams on Spotify, marking the first Indian song to achieved this milestone.^[1]

Release

On 10 April 2022, the first single of the film's soundtrack, titled "Kesariya" was unveiled.^[2] Three days later, a teaser of the song was released.^[3] "Kesariya" was released on 17 July 2022.^[4][5] Official lyrical video was released on 22 August 2022, through YouTube.^[6] Dance mix of the song, recorded by Shashwat Singh and Antara Mitra was released on 1 October.^[7] Film version of the song was released on 9 December.^[8]

Music video

The music video features Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. It was choreographed by Ganesh Acharya.^[9] The music video was shot at Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and in River Ganges.^[10]

Critical reception

Bhavna Agarwal of India Today wrote "Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt present love ballad of the year".^[11] Hindustan Times wrote "Alia Bhatt promises to always stand by Ranbir Kapoor in their love anthem."^[12] ABP News wrote "the track showcases love-filled chemistry of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt".^[13]

Plagiarism

The tune and composition of the song were plagiarised from songs "Laree Chootee" and "Charkha".^[14]

Other versions

The song was released in Telugu as "Kumkumala" with lyrics written by Chandrabose.^[15] The song was released in Tamil as "Theethiriyaai" with lyrics written by Madhan Karky.^[16] The song was released in Kannada as "Kesariya Rangu" with lyrics written by Yogaraj Bhat.^[17] The song was released in Malayalam as "Kunkumamaake" with lyrics written by Shabareesh Varma.^[18] Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam versions of the song was sung by Sid Sriram alongside Sanjith Hegde and Hesham Abdul Wahab.^[19]

Impact

The song received positive reception from audiences, praising the music. The hook step, performed by Kapoor and Bhatt, went viral on social media.^[20]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from YouTube.^[6]

• Pritam – composer
• Amitabh Bhattacharya – lyricist
• Arijit Singh – vocal
• Nikhita Gandhi – additional vocal
• Ganesh Acharya – choreographer
• Shadab Rayeen – mixing engineer, mastering engineer
• Dhrubajyoti Phukan – sound design, music arrangement

Accolades

Award[a]	Date of ceremony[b]	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
Filmfare Awards	27 April 2023	Best Lyricist	Amitabh Bhattacharya	Won	[21]
		Best Male Playback Singer	Arijit Singh	Won
International Indian Film Academy Awards	26 and 27 May 2023	Best Lyricist	Amitabh Bhattacharya	Won	[22]
		Best Male Playback Singer	Arijit Singh	Won
Zee Cine Awards	26 February 2023	Song of the Year	"Kesariya"	Won	[23]
		Best Lyricist	Amitabh Bhattacharya	Won
		Best Male Playback Singer	Arijit Singh	Won
Mirchi Music Awards	TBA	Listener's Choice - Film Song of the year	"Kesariya"	Pending	[24]
		Song of The Year	"Kesariya"
		Male Vocalist Of The Year	Arijit Singh
		Music Composer Of The Year	Pritam
		Lyricist Of The Year	Amitabh Bhattacharya
		Best Song Producer (Programming & Arranging)	Himonshu Parikh and DJ Phukan
		Best Song Engineer (Recording & Mixing)	Aaroh Velankar, Aniruddh Anantha, Ashwin Kulkarni, Harjot Kaur, Himanshu Shirlekar, Pranav Gupta, Sukanto Singha and Shadab Rayeen

Charts

Chart performances for "Kesariya"

Chart (2022)	Peak position
India (Billboard)[25] Kesariya	1
Asian Music Chart[26] Kesariya	1

Notes

1. Awards, festivals and organizations are in Alphabetical order.
2. Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.