Anshu Sharma expected the first single of his newly launched indie label, Arthjam, to be a quadruple whammy—philosophical, deep, identifiable and simple. The well-crafted ‘Nazraan Ve’ is a triple collaborative effort between the former ad man and creative producer Sharma, lyricist and poet Shailendra Sodhi a.k.a. Shellee (of Dev.D, and Udta Punjab fame) and Bollywood playback singer-cum-YouTube sensation Anirudh Bhola (Sanam Re, Kites and Krrish 3), which has ticked all four boxes.
Its karaoke version will be released on April 22. ‘Nazraan Ve’ has an interesting backstory. Sharma, an aficionado of the timeless poetry of Bulleh Shah and Mirza Ghalib, was looking for a contemporary recreation of the poets’ work. Out of the blue, Shellee shared a couplet with the word ‘gawandan’—that loosely translates into ‘neighbour’ in Punjabi. With the couplet, Ankh di Gawandan Ankh Ve; Ikk takkey tey duji kare shaq Ve, Sharma knew he had found his poet for the modern times whose work was both fresh and meaningful.
In the couplet, Shellee tries to explain the reason behind all the misery in our world. The paradox, the double standards, the hypocrisy that we face on day-to-day basis that emerges from the fact that we live with contradicting beliefs at the same time. ‘Gawandan’ is a simple simile to explain the dual nature of our perspectives.
From thereon it was a magical journey to see this couplet grow into a poem and then Bhola transforming it into a melodious track. “The music simply followed the words, the rhyme and the feeling,” recalls Bhola. Validation came from friend, lyricist and playback singer Amitabh Bhattacharya, who liked it enough to persuade them to release the song. Shooting the number in the backdrop of a biking excursion to Ladakh was Sharma’s idea. A small crew of 11, of which only two had prior experience, set out to the Himalayas. Needless to say, it was chaos from Day One. Given the unpredictable weather, none of the team’s plans worked.
“Where we wished for the sun, we were met by hailstorms. Where we needed clean snow corridors, there was harsh sun, melting ice and traffic jams,” remembers Sharma, adding, “Not to forget the community vomit sessions.” The altitude at the bends had almost the entire team call for a much-needed stopover every now and then.
The song’s climax was shot at Khardung La, the highest motorable point in the world at a height of 18,379 feet. A hailstorm was raging when the team got there, and the camera crew refused to come out of the Army bunker where they had been offered shelter. But all’s well that ends well. The final visuals of the shoot reflect breathtaking vistas of Nature with the soul-stirring landscape seamlessly blending with the music and the poetry.
The label has also released a quirky, electronic fusion track called ‘Anulom Vilom Chillom’, reflecting the highs and lows of life in quarantine. Written by Sharma and composed by Yashwardhan Prasad, it is dedicated to the year that turned everything upside down. With several cross-cultural and international collaborations in the pipeline, Arthjam is prepping for its next projects. For now, ‘Nazraan Ve’ is a nudge to today’s poets and listeners to reflect on our immediate environment, while simultaneously being inspired by the timelessness of the past.