Boba tunnel, Phaka frame, Tarar moto, Bawshonto eshe gechhe — Anupam Roy woos — and wows — with his love songs. But now, the spring of dissent is here! The lyrics of Anupam’s new song, Porichoy, go, “Don’t let the shackles of religion tie you down... I want to break free from all these walls of divide”. How’s the feedback? “So far very encouraging. Overall, it is very positive. Fundamentalists obviously don’t agree with this philosophy. IT cells have shown their anger in abusive language on the Internet. I think overall people have got the message. I am gearing up to perform this song live on stage,” says Anupam. A chat with Anupam...

What is the genesis of Porichoy?

I wrote the song in 2008. It was called something else then. The theme was the same — that humanity is above all. The song was with me for a long time… I did not feel the need to release the song. From Lalon to Tagore to Lennon, artistes have written songs along the same lines.

Why was it important for you to release the song now?

In the last few years I saw things changing. The rise of intolerance got me thinking. Then I started thinking and rewrote this song. That’s how Porichoy happened. It is a very relevant song. We can see violent acts taking place in the country… and somehow we can see that hate is being encouraged by some people. Which was not supposed to be. We all hope for the best for our country… where people live in harmony… where India is progressing, for better and glorious days, where we talk about scientific revolution and advancement… instead, we see the rise of intolerance and fundamentalism. So I had to release this song. In fact, I was forced (to release the song) by the current political situation in the country.

Time and again music has played a role in protest. How important is it for you to take a stand now?

It is not that I have written many protest songs in the past. But I wanted to now. When you hear some people openly giving hate speeches, then you feel a bit worried... since you know that they are trying to create unrest. Then you feel that our survival is at stake. When you hear lies spouted by some leaders, and see the fake news being shared, and some even believing in it, then you feel this urgent need to protest. I felt it was imperative to protest as a human being… and since I write songs, that’s how the role of a protest song came to the fore.

You went for a direct approach in this song. Why?

The song has a direct approach because it has an urgency. I want to reach out to more people. Shohoj kotha shohoj bhabe bolar gaan. I did not feel the need to seek recourse in metaphors here.

How did you decide on the arrangement for this song?

Musically, I have tried to keep it simple. The moment the drums kick in, there is an adrenaline rush, and that was necessary for this song.

What was the idea behind the music video?

A music video was necessary to create a visual impact. The youth are the future building block of the nation. The kids (featured in the video) will all grow up.

May her or his work and behaviour become their identity. If we can teach this to the little kids, then I believe the world will be a better place to live in. As a line from the song goes, ‘Choose your own identity or better still, make it’.