Songs from the Telugu-language action drama film “Pushpa: The Rise”are creating a rage and fan following across India, so much so that singers in Kashmir have become enthused to translate its lyrics and put it to a musical score.
Among these singers is songwriter and singer Master Saleem, who has been singing since childhood, making a professional start in 1992.
Brighter Kashmir spoke to Master Tasleem , a singer who is gaining popularity and getting rave reviews for the Kashmiri version of the Telugu language song “Srivalli”. We tried to find out why Saleem took a particular liking for this song from the movie “Pushpa: The Rise” and what convinced him to recreate it in Kashmiri or Koshur, a language that is spoken today by around seven million Kashmiris. Following is the interview:
BK: Master Saleem, why has the song “Srivalli” attracted you so much?
Master Saleem: My name is Tasleem. I live in Srinagar’s Chanapora area and have a long association with music; I am actually at home with the art of music. We (other artists and I) practice at my home here on Sundays and we prepared the lyrics for the Kashmiri version of “Srivalli” here. The idea for doing this song in Kashmiri came from my colleague Dadar, who asked me to listen to the southern version and see if we could come up with something in our language.
BK: How long did it take you to create the Kashmiri version of the song?
Master Saleem: The movie was released on a Friday and by Sunday we had translated the song and put it to a musical score in Kashmiri. We practiced and sang it continuously for four to five hours to reach the level of perfection that we desired as professional singers. I received a lot of support from the local people and I am thankful to all of them.
BK: Has the government come forward to support you and other singers in any way?
Master Saleem: I would like the government to come forward to support artists like us. They should help us to set up a music studio to enable us to showcase our talent to a wider audience. So far, we have received no government support; whatever we have achieved, is of our own.
BK: Going forward, what is your objective in pursuing this career in music?
Master Saleem: Our aim is to move forward, come what may. We want encouragement and support, a chance by the government to showcase our talent. Today, the Kashmiri version of this song has gone viral; after this, we will continue to strive to show our skill in music; show the people something new.
BK: Do you think singers in Kashmir are receding into the background, into anonymity, because of a lack of government support?
Master Tasleem: Yes, of course, but Inshallah, all we need is to practice. Whoever wants to sing or do any other activity of interest, needs to practice; there is no escape from practice, only then will they progress by God’s grace. The government has to give them a chance, provide them with opportunities.
BK: What is the message that you would like to send out to aspiring talent in Kashmir and elsewhere?
Master Tasleem: The only message that I have for them is to work hard to develop their talent, to show their audience and the world something new.
BK: Can you tell us something about your journey in music?
Master Tasleem: I have done a lot of programmes here in Kashmir. I have even performed for YouTube. There are a lot of programmes available that allow us to grow as musicians and artists, but there is no support from the government. This has to change and we would be very happy to get this support. We have done everything on our own.
BK: Which is the song for which you are most popular?
Master Tasleem: I have received rave reviews for the Kashmiri version of the song “Srivalli” and must thank everybody who has supported it and me.
BK: What made you think of translating this Telugu language song?
Master Tasleem: This is not the first time that we have translated a song; we have done many before this one, but since this song from the South has become very popular, we decided it was worth translating it and that we should come out with a Kashmiri version of it and see how locals here receive it. I thank the almighty on seeing that Kashmiris here have liked this song of mine very much. This is the first song that we have done from the South and it has gone viral in all of its versions across the country.
BK: You have told us that you have had a liking for music since you were very young?
Master Tasleem: My love and liking for music began in school. The encouragement I received there helped to try my talent in other places like colleges etc. With the school’s encouragement, I used to do background musical scores in colleges on behalf of my school. Then I used to do programmes for Doordarshan television, and participated in children’s programmes in 1992. I got hooked on music from there.
The film Pushpa -The Rise has become very popular across the country. Written and directed by Sukumar, it stars Allu Arjun as the main character, Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna. Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari, Sunil, Rao Ramesh, Dhananjaya, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Ajay and Ajay Ghosh play supporting roles.
The film depicts the rise of a coolie in the smuggling syndicate of red sandalwood, a rare wood that grows only in the Seshachalam Hills of Andhra Pradesh.
Devi Sri Prasad has composed the film's original score and soundtrack. The film released on December 17 last year in Telugu along with dubbed versions in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi languages. Initially, it received mixed to positive reviews from critics and fans, but now is a commercial success, grossing over Rs.365 crore at the box office. It is now the highest-grossing Indian film of 2021 and ranks among the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time. Part two of the film titled “Pushpa 2: The Rule” is scheduled to commence production in April this year.