Saiyaara musician Faheem Abdullah: There’s a lot more to Kashmir than romance and conflict

Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami

So much of who we are is shaped by our roots. Musicians Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami agree whole-heartedly. "In my music, all you can [hear] is Kashmir," says Abdullah, who has voiced the beautiful title track of Saiyaara, which has been composed by him along with Nizami and Tanishk Bagchi. He adds, "Kashmir has shaped every part of my musical identity. From my grandfather and dadi singing folk melodies to Radio Kashmir exposing me to every genre, it all stayed with me."
The artiste, who was born and raised in Srinagar, began formally making music in 2019, releasing his first single Jhelum a year later. "Since then, I've gone from putting out one song a year to a 14-track album, and I'm now releasing new music almost monthly," he says.

For Nizami, too, music began at home. His father was a singer-songwriter. He shares, "I never imagined taking the same path, but it slowly unfolded as I shared my songs and met people. Kashmir's cold mornings, its stories and songs shape everything I do."

(L-R) Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday in Saiyaara

Now, the two have brought the sounds of Kashmir to Hindi films as they make their Bollywood debut with Mohit Suri's directorial venture, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. Hindi cinema has often used Kashmir as the backdrop to tell varied stories. But the two musicians note that the stories have rarely given a comprehensive understanding of the Valley. Abdullah explains, "There is either romance or conflict. But there's a lot more to Kashmir than these two things. It's either exoticised or vilified. If someone spends time there, they'll see the warmth in the people. That deserves to be talked about more. The portrayal can be more human. The characters can go beyond the usual tropes."

After Saiyaara, both artistes are taking different but complementary paths. Abdullah is keen to collaborate with the Hindi film industry's musicians while giving back. "I want to work with composers, yes, but also help artistes rise from Kashmir." Nizami, meanwhile, is focused on independent music. "If Bollywood comes my way naturally, I'm open to it. But I want to stay honest to my sound, whether it's in films or outside of them."

And that sound, they believe, carries the truth of a place too often simplified. As Abdullah puts it, "To hear Kashmir, you need to listen to the people from there. We're trying to be that voice."

Voice of the Valley

Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami are nurturing talent back home through KMR, Kashmir Music Revolution, a studio initiative they founded. Abdullah says, "We started KMR to create an ecosystem for music in Kashmir. We hold music camps, and help artistes create at their full potential. There's so much raw talent, and we want to make sure they have the tools, support, and creative freedom to find their own voice."