Unless you’ve been living far away from every radio, TV, music app, social media platform or neighbourhood event that calls for music – Faheem Abdullah crooning Saiyaara tu toh badla nahi hain, mausam zara sa rootha hua hain has probably wormed its way into your ears and made a comfortable home there at some point since last July. Following its release, the song met with global success, becoming the first Hindi-language song and the first song by an Indian artist to crack the top 10 on Billboard’s Global Excl. US chart and the Global 200 chart. For the 28-year-old singer, this was a complete surprise as he says, “I didn’t expect Saiyaara to become what it did. You can never predict how a song will travel once it leaves you.”
Recalling the track’s beginnings, he adds, “I had written a very different version of the song years ago. When the opportunity came for it to
evolve into its present form, with beautiful additions by Irshad (lyricist Irshad Kamil) sir, it finally felt complete. I focused on doing justice to the emotion of the composition and the song found its way from there.”
Long before Saiyaara became a mass hit, the Srinagar-born singer had been active in Kashmir’s independent music scene, creating songs like Jhelum and Kashmir, weaving Kashmiri and Urdu lyrics together which carry a deep grief and love for his home. Musically, he says, “Kashmir influences me emotionally more than sonically in an obvious way. There’s a sense of longing, restraint and poetry that stays with you. Jhelum came directly from that space. Even when I’m not singing in Kashmiri, that emotional sensibility remains present.”
Navigating Bollywood as a Kashmiri, Abdullah has always spoken about being proud to represent the region and he reiterates this when he says, “I wear my Kashmiri identity on my shoulder with pride. While there aren’t many Kashmiri artists in mainstream Bollywood, I’ve experienced both challenges and quiet support. I don’t see my identity as a barrier. I see it as a source of emotional depth and perspective that naturally flows into my work.”
While social media has played a huge role in his rise, the song Ishq gaining popularity on Instagram before Saiyaara. Abdullah, a poet-lyricist at heart, is cautious about letting it lead his work too much, saying, “Social media can open doors, but it can’t replace substance. Ishq connected because it was honest. My advice to young musicians would be to use these platforms wisely, but not let them dictate your voice.” He adds, “Writing usually begins with an emotion rather than an idea. Sometimes it’s a line, sometimes just a feeling. I let it grow slowly instead of forcing it into a structure. When I feel uninspired, I don’t try to fight it. I read, listen, observe or stay quiet. Creativity returns when it’s ready. For me, forcing output has never worked as well as allowing space.”
The last six months have been busy for Abdullah, who has been working on playback music projects, including Aawaara Angaara, a collaboration with AR Rahman and Kamil for the Dhanush-starrer Tere Ishk Mein. “There are more opportunities and a greater sense of responsibility. There’s also a deeper awareness now that people are listening closely. That hasn’t pressured me, but it has made me more mindful about my choices,” says the singer, taking a moment to reflect.
This shift from indie to playback is something he calls ‘not too different, yet very different,’ explaining, “In independent work, the song begins and ends with you. I still try to make the music I love, but I remain aware of the story it belongs to. Where it fits is part of the journey and I enjoy navigating that balance. I want to grow steadily, without losing the emotional honesty that brought listeners to my music in the first place.”
(Faheem Abdullah will perform at Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru, Thanisandra Main Road, on February 14 at 7.30pm. Tickets from `799 onwards available on bookmyshow.com)