Entertainment News | Singer Anuradha Palakurthi Pays Tribute to Kashmiri Poetess Habba Khatoon with 'Danai Posh'

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) "Danai Posh", a centuries old Kashmiri poem by the legendary poetess Habba Khatoon, inspired renowned Indian-American singer Anuradha Palakurthi and Kashmiri filmmaker Danish Renzu 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.

Also Read | Urvashi Rautela Compares Squats Exercise with Life’s Mantra of Ups and Downs (Watch Video).

“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.

Also Read | Disha Patani Aces Flying Kicks at Ease and We Are in Love with Her Action Avatar (Watch Video).

'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.

Renzu said it was special to recreate the historic poem and take it to the world stage.

“We shot the entire video over three days in Srinagar on real location. It was very special to recreate Habba Khatoon 'a historic song. Feels like an achievement. ‘Danai Posh' is a very special song as it was written by Habba Khatoon for her beloved Yusuf Shah, the last emperor of independent Kashmir.

“It's sheer honour to recreate this song and bring it back to an audience on an international platform. Most of the crew of this video is Kashmir based and has further revived art and cinema in the Valley,” Renzu said.

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.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)