New Delhi: “Danai Posh”, a centuries old Kashmiri poem by the legendary poetess Habba Khatoon, inspired renowned Indian-American singer Anuradha Palakurthi to collaborate on a new rendition of the song.
Palakurthi, who also gave voice to inspiring songs such as ‘Saath do’ and ‘Ruk Jaana Nahi’ during the coronavirus pandemic, said they creative team worked from three different locations to give shape to the video during the pandemic.
“I was inspired by Shameen Dev Azad’s (popular Kashmiri singer) rendition of Habba Khatoon’s poem. Habba Khatoon was the stunningly beautiful wife of the last King of Kashmir Yusuf Chak – and her life story and intellect are inspirational,” Palakurthi told PTI.
“The production is remarkable because it had to deal with multiple challenges – the music team led by Kamlesh Bhadkamkar & Vijay Dayal was in Mumbai – and had to work with musicians operating out of their homes. The creative team with Sunayana Kachroo operated out of Boston. The film crew was entirely based in Srinagar, Kashmir. They had to grapple with several issues relating to the pandemic, reduced communication infrastructure and a fast-approaching winter,” she added.
‘Danai Posh’ celebrates a Kashmiri girl’s journey from courtship to traditional marriage while retaining her aspiration to be an astronomer. The lyrics are the epitome of romanticism and allude to the physical and spiritual connection that Habba felt with Yusuf.
Palakurthi, also the founder of Boston-based Juju Productions, has often worked on music that transcends national and cultural boundaries. ‘Danai Posh’ is a similar attempt.
The original song featured in Bashir Budgami’s film ‘Habba Khatoon’ and Palakurthi’s production has tried to stay close to the soul of the song.
The video of the song is slated to be released on November 30 on YouTube, Palakurthi’s channel and music plaforms like Spotify, Apple and Jio Saavn.
