In May, Kashmiri musician Mohammad Muneem known by the stage name Alif enchanted listeners with his peppy song Kya Karie Korimol. This composition, which has already garnered an astonishing 15 million plus plays on Coke Studio Bharat, is brought to life by the incredibly soulful vocals of playback singer Aashima Mahajan and the captivating voice of singer Noor Mohammad along with Alif. It transported listeners to a Kashmiri wedding by gracefully portraying a father’s palpable tension in arranging the delectable feast (daawat) and ensuring that every aspect of his daughter’s special day goes flawlessly.
Now building upon the tremendous success of his previous release, the Srinagar-born singer-songwriter, Alif, unveils his latest single, Fitna Fitoor, which is part of his highly anticipated album, Siyah. This composition effortlessly combines performing arts and music dominated by strings of electric guitar, drums and keyboard. Watch in awe as the 40-year-old musician immerses himself in freestyle dance movements, using his body as a canvas to depict the theme of holding onto our inner strength amidst the uncertain tides of life.
“It sheds light on how our quality of life is deteriorating due to our obsession with material possessions, stresses, anxiety and the public scrutiny we endure. It shows chaos and how we have a mad rush to make a way through it. In today’s digital age, it has become easy to express hatred towards someone online, while expressing love and kindness has become increasingly challenging. The song urges us to be compassionate and be strong in weaker moments,” he elaborates on the theme at the start of our conversation.
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Lasting impressions of childhood
The multifaceted artiste possesses a remarkable talent for poetry, singing, and songwriting in Urdu, Hindi and Koshur. His artistic prowess has earned him prestigious accolades such as the IRAA Award for his captivating single Like a Sufi, the esteemed Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival Award for the soul-stirring composition Lalnawath and the esteemed IIMA Award for the mesmerising song Ride Home. He has also ventured into the realm of cinema, contributing his exceptional dialogue-writing abilities to the feature film Torbaaz and featuring in Amazon Prime hit series Made in Heaven Season 2. However, growing up as an introvert, the humble artiste never imagined he would make a mark in the industry.
Telling us about his childhood seeped in repressed emotions, he reveals, “During my fifth grade, my parents decided to enrol me in a boarding school at Dehradun. I was not mentally prepared for it and felt a sense of abandonment and loneliness. Amidst this tumultuous time, one of my professors whom we called Bobby sir, offered a vulnerable child like me a listening ear. It was during this phase that I discovered my inclination towards expressing myself with letter writing. I vividly recall penning down my emotions in letters, carefully placing them beneath my pillow and crying myself to sleep.” Throughout his childhood, Alif resisted the idea of maintaining a diary, plagued by the constant fear of someone reading it and passing judgment. That’s when he found poetry as a “cryptic” way to express himself in fewer words without revealing his entire being. He tells us, “Poetry became a conduit for unear thing the emotions I had long suppressed, offering me to authentically express myself. Not everyone may have understood the depths of my thoughts but that didn’t hinder my ability to articulate them.”
Refuge in poetry and music
While navigating the path of academia, with engineering and MBA as his compass, Alif’s inner artiste yearned for something more than just numbers and formulas. Deep within him, a craving for soul-stirring melodies and heartfelt lyrics began to take root. It was the dulcet tones of Jagjit Singh’s ghazals and the timeless tunes of Kishore Kumar that fueled his artistic aspirations, urging him to explore music. His compositions became a poignant reflection of the collective human experience, touching upon the raw emotions of pain, loneliness, lamentation, and the many vices that plague society.
Through his songs, like Sufayed, Ride Home, Majhab and more, he dared to expose the shadows that lurk within us all, shedding light on the deep-seated hate, bias, and other afflictions that poison our hearts. “Sometimes, I feel humanity needs a collective therapy. In that context, my songs are not mere auditory experiences; rather, they are an inward journey for the listener. People might not derive joy listening to them but may feel drained out and introspective,” he tells us in his deep baritone voice.
The act of writing a song becomes a cathartic release for him leaving him both depleted only to be refilled with new experiences. “I feel drained out and empty from within after making a composition. Paradoxically, this overwhelming feeling of exhaustion is what I find to be the most captivating. It is in these moments when I have invested every ounce of my being, dedicating endless hours, pouring in copious amounts of energy, and baring the depths of my emotions, that I experience beauty.” His audience is often ready to embark on a sentimental journey.
Once during a performance in Pune, he recalls how a woman got up from the audience and left the room only to return back with a heartfelt email. “I thought she was not enjoying the music. However, after four days, an unexpected email arrived in my inbox, and to my astonishment, it was from the very same woman. She expressed that my song had evoked a flood of emotions within her, specifically reminding her of her late father whom she had recently lost. She said had she not exercised restraint, tears would have streamed down her face right then and there. It was a profoundly overwhelming experience for me.” He hopes that his songs resonate with more and help them be their true self. Fitna Fitoor was released on June 8 onYoutube.
Mail: priyamvada@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @RanaPriyamvada