Srinagar, Jan 3 Young Kashmiri singer Ishfaq Kawa is all set to make his playback debut in Bollywood.
Ishfaq has recorded the title song for the Bollywood movie 'Welcome to Kashmir', which has been filmed in north Kashmir and is set to be released this year with locals playing lead roles.
Hailing from Shadipora village of Bandipora district, Ishfaq drew parallels with famous singer Arjit Sing because of his soul-stirring voice.
Ishfaq first decided to give singing a try in 2015, when he received a standing ovation for his singing talent while working as a waiter in Hyderabad.
Ishfaq came into limelight for 'Nundi Bani', a song penned and composed by him, dedicated to all the mothers who have lost their children. The song received tremendous response by garnering 10 million views on YouTube alone.
Ishfaq presently has over 492K subscribers on YouTube. He has become a new musical sensation of Kashmi with every song he uploads on YouTube garnering millions of views.
"I am extremely delighted that I have recorded the title song for 'Welcome to Kashmir'. I started from scratch and it gives me immense pleasure that I have reached this stage. Everyone who learns about it gets happy that ultimately our Kashmiri language has reached Bollywood," said a jubilant Ishfaq.
"The title song is in Kashmiri language with few hindi lines in it. The shoot of the movie went on for nearly six months, which is complete now. My song will be released soon," Ishfaq added.
He said 'Welcome to Kashmir' is an attempt to present the genuine image of the people of J&K to the larger audience.
The movie highlights women's empowerment and the need for eradicating drug addiction among the Kashmiri youth, he said.
Ishfaq aspires to provide more space to Kashmiri language in Bollywood through his singing.
"I wanted Kashmiri language to reach Bollywood and finally my dream has come true. I will now work harder to reach Mumbai and perform in Bollywood," said Ishfa.
"Because of the introduction of Punjabi songs in Bollywood, Punjabi now has an audience even in the non-Punjabi speaking regions. Punjabi songs are hit among the non-Punjabi audience in the country as well as abroad. Like Punjabi language, I want to promote Kashmiri through Bollywood," he added.
Ishfaq, the son of a farmer, has had his own share of ups and downs, but the struggles and hard work paid off.
"I was interested in music since my childhood, but there was no platform available where I could showcase my talent. I faced many challenges in my singing career to reach where I am today. I faced financial crisis and used to be short of money during the initial days of my musical career. I would perform manual labour to earn money to follow my passion. But I never lost hope and always tried to give my best," he said.
"Initially, I would translate Hindi songs into Kashmiri and sing them, which received tremendous response from the listeners. When people started liking my songs, I felt I should carry forward this journey. Later, I started singing my own compositions such as 'Dilbar', 'Nund Banie', 'Ha Yaroa Walo', 'Zaroori Shum', 'Madnoa', and the recently-released song 'Madno'. I have written and composed all these songs myself," he said.
"I intend to promote Kashmiri language among the young people through my songs, and that is what I am doing," he said.
"I feel overwhelmed by the love and respect I have received from the music lovers, both at home and from outside. It is not always about money, but the place you make in the hearts of the people which is invaluable. At the beginning of my singing career, I had never thought that I will receive so much love from people," he added.
"After a few weeks, I will release a song titled 'Gubroa'. I am sure people will like it, just as they liked the song 'Nundi Bani'," Ishfaq said.
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