Ace singer Nachiketa Chakraborty made a soulful comeback this Valentine’s Day with his new single Tor isharay, launched on YouTube. The song has been composed by Shiladitya Chaudhury and has been shot in Amadpur Baithakkhana in Burdwan. The album, christened Bhinno Premer Kahini, has been produced by Ministry Of Muzik. Som Chakraborty has done the screenplay and directed the music video, while Palash Tarafdar is the director of photography (DoP). The music direction and conceptualisation has been done by Shiladitya. The theme of the song is that love is beyond any religion. The lyrics have been penned by Saikat Chattopadhyay.

The song is an amalgamation of many melodies, including Arabic tunes. The song also has a Sufi touch to it and words such as asmani and aangina have been used, which are not pure Bengali words. The video tries to portray the hardships a couple have to go through and how society treats them as they not only come from different economic strata but from different religions as well. The girl hails from a wealthy landlord’s family while the boy comes from a middle-class background. The girl is later married off to some other person against her wishes, while the boy commits suicide. The video has been shot in a traditional landscape to complement the soul of the song replete with a zamindar mansion, a thakur dalan (courtyard), an old temple, paddy fields and a pond.

Shabbir and Antara in a still from the music video Sourced by the correspondent

Nachiketa talked to The Telegraph about this love single and music in general:

Tell us a bit about your new song...

It’s basically a love song. It’s about a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy who fall in love and the kind of obstacles they face thereafter. It’s about how society treats an inter-faith romance. It’s very relevant in today’s time.

Your name is equivalent to a charismatic revolution. Was this desire to bring change in the society always in you?

It was always within me... ever since childhood. I had these thoughts even when I was in school.

You bring a combination of powerful words and soulful music. What is your approach when presenting issues that are evils of society?

I try to raise issues that I think will ultimately help society, help humans raise their awareness.

How wild is the rebel called Nachiketa almost three decades after Nachiketa, the singer, burst on the scene?

No two species will be the same. A porcupine will always have its quills no matter how old the animal gets. I am still the same man with the same ideals and thoughts. Those can never be taken away from me.

Why don’t we see Nachiketa as a music director in movies more often?

I will be a complete misfit in the kind of movies that are being made. My music or songs in those movies will lose their objective. The kind of philosophy that is in my creations or compositions would not complement the themes of the films. The language of protest has changed completely. If I am told to write, it will be of a different nature certainly... something that might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Future projects?

I have written a few songs. Those will be released. I am singing a few songs now, some good, some mediocre. I am also writing a few stories. A story titled Ponchash Bhaag will soon come out.