‘Mujhe Kisi Se Pyar Nahin,’ is a very young ghazal at its core by Manoj Muntashir, Deepak Pandit and Papon.
Ghazal and youth may seem poles apart in today’s scenario but it’s all about getting the emotions right. This particular ghazal talks about the denial of being in love and the paradox which follows.
Youngsters are invited into the beautiful, dim-lit universe of poetry, where they show no reluctance and loads of respect for this kind of music. The makers have kept the words, melody singing and sound very young and very contemporary. ‘Mujhe Kisi Se Pyar Nahin’ may just open a window for the millennials into the wonderlands of the ghazal.
Manoj Muntashir says it was a sleepy afternoon sometime during the middle of 2011 when he got a call from Deepak Pandit, a very close associate of Jagjit Singh, “‘Uncle is recording next to your home, why don’t you come and say hello to him’. How could I say no? In the next 10 minutes, I was sitting with the man, the legend, the enigma, the phenomenon called Jagjit Singh.”
“He kept cracking jokes and everyone in the studio couldn’t resist the laughter. Suddenly he turned to me, ‘Manoj, have you written anything new, recite!’ I didn’t know what to recite to a man who has heard the best of the best. Still, I started narrating a ghazal I had penned down just a couple of days ago. As I finished, he extended his diary to me, ‘Just write it down and don’t forget to mention your address’ I said, ‘but uncle, you have my mobile number, why address?’ He wittily replied, ‘Cheque mobile number par bhejoonga?’ Next few words he spoke, made my day, ‘I am recording this ghazal for my next album’,” Manoj continued.
Talking about his demise, Manoj says, “But before my words would get blessings of the legend, he left for his heavenly abode. 9 years later, Deepak Pandit composed the same ghazal and played it to me, I had tears in my eyes. We wanted a great singer and a true Jagjit Singh fan to complete what he left in middle, Papon was a no brainer. We requested him and he happily agreed. On his death anniversary on Oct 10th, we released ‘Mujhe Kisi Se Pyar Nahin’ to the world at large which welcomed it with open arms and teary eyes. I’ve gotten a very emotional response and my youtube channel is flooded with praises.”