Hyderabad: Open Instagram, and chances are, the first track flooding your feed is “Saiyaara Tu Toh Badlaa Nahi Hai…”, the title track of Mohit Suri’s latest film Saiyaara. The soulful ballad has become an internet sensation, trending across all social media platforms and quickly becoming the anthem of the season. But who are the voices behind this chart-topping melody?
Interestingly, just like the film’s lead pair, debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the song too has been brought to life by fresh talent. While most tracks from Saiyaara have been sung by Vishal Mishra and composed by Tanishk Bagchi, the now-iconic title track features brand new vocals by Faheem Abdullah and is composed by Faheem and his longtime collaborator, Arslan Nizami.
The duo, both hailing from Kashmir and with no prior industry backing, have delivered a breakout hit that has touched hearts nationwide. Not many know that the soul of Saiyaara was crafted in the valleys of Kashmir. It was Tanishk Bagchi, whom the duo affectionately call their “elder brother”, who introduced them to director Mohit Suri and helped pave their way into this dream debut.
Faheem, already known in indie circles for his heartfelt rendition of ‘Ishq’, shared in an interview with HT, “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.”
His partner, Arslan, was juggling a career as a civil engineer in Leh, while moonlighting as a composer and lyricist. The two have been creating music together for years.
“This is an honour for Kashmir,” Faheem added in another conversation with India Today. “Our state has beautiful people and incredible artists. I’m really happy that two Kashmiri boys have worked really hard to land this project of a lifetime.”
The film Saiyaara may still be finding its ground among audiences, but its title track has already done what most soundtracks dream of, it’s created a wave, captured hearts, and introduced Bollywood to two promising new talents.
