Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara has grossed over ₹100 crore globally in its opening weekend. It’s safe to say the romantic drama is a hit with the audiences. Part of the film’s USP is its music, particularly its title song, which has become a chartbuster. While most of the songs in the film have been sung by Vishal Mishra and composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Saiyaara features brand new vocals from Faheem Abdullah. The song has been composed by Faheem and his longtime collaborator, Arslan Nizami.
Who are Arslan Nizami and Faheem Abdullah?
Arslan Nizami was working as a civil engineer near Leh and moonlighting as a songwriter and composer. He would collaborate with Faheem, who earlier went by The Imaginary Poet, before shedding his stage name earlier this year. Their music had sizable popularity within Kashmir but was largely unknown outside. “I always used to write and pen down songs. One day, I spoke to Faheem (his collaborator), saying ‘Hamara music baahar pahunch nahi raha hai’ (our music is not going out). Someone needs to get out and do that,” Arslan tells us.
“The same day, I resigned from my job and went to Faheem and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I really wanted to give our music a chance,” he adds. “The most difficult thing was to explain this to my parents. They are Kashmiri parents, who believe in stability and a good job.”
Faheem and Arslan pooled in their savings and went to Mumbai to try their luck out for mainstream composers and producers. “We realised that we had enough money for 14 days in Mumbai. So we gave themselves those 14 days in the city,” Faheem recalls. On the 13th day of their stay in Mumbai, they met Tanishk Bagchi, the composer, and soon were roped in to compose the title track of Saiyaara.
On the reception to Saiyaara
Talking about the ‘pinch-me’ moment they have had since the great reception to the song, Faheem says, “To be able to do music itself is a privilege. We never thought we’d ever do music for a film. That was never something we consciously thought about until we got that call.”
The duo now hopes that their success can pave the way for more Kashmiri musicians to come to the mainstream. “Kashmir is a very undiscovered place when it comes to music in our country. It has huge potential when it comes to talent,” says Faheem, adding that all people need is a platform like them.
