Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit Nene-starrer Koyla (1997), helmed by filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, clocks 25 years of its release today. Apart from the high-octane drama and action sequences, the song Sanson Ki Mala Pe remains etched in the memories of the audience to this day.

Singer Kavita Krishnamurti, who rendered the track, is thankful to music composer Rajesh Roshan for giving her the opportunity. “It’s definitely one of the nicest songs I’ve sung in my career. It was composed quite beautifully and arranged by Rajesh ji. While recording it, I tried to follow how he sang. He has a very aesthetic and delicate way of singing songs,” she says.

Recalling the experience of recording the song — originally written by Meera Bai, a 16th century poet — at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios, the 64-year-old singer tells us, “We recorded it with an entire orchestra. We had all the musicians in a big hall; so, it was like singing live. And that’s a fantastic feeling. Dubbing a song can never be the same as singing live with the orchestra.”

Sanson Ki Mala Pe was one of the earliest songs she sang for Nene. She credits the actor for bringing it to life. “When I saw the picturization, I was amazed. The way Madhuri ji has danced to it, is beautiful. I’ve great respect for her talent and personality. She has made all my songs look beautiful,” says Krishnamurti, who went on to sing chartbusters like Kaahe Chhed Mohe (Devdas; 2002) and Kay Sera Sera (Pukar; 2000) for Nene.

Talking about the popularity the song garnered, the singer, who continues to get requests to sing Sanson Ki Mala Pe at live shows, shares, “To this day, I’ve people coming up to me at airports and expressing their love for the song.”