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