Premi | Sajar Nafees | Meeraji | Arshad Mahmud

Poetry: Meeraji
Music Composer: Arshad Mahmud
Singer: Sajar Nafees
Sitar: Nafees Ahmed
Cinematographer: Shoaib Suleman Razzak
Video Director: Zarak Qaim Khani
Producer: Arshad Mahmud
Mastered, mixed, and videography at SMB Studios
Art Direction: Uzma Sabeen

Premi

How does one truly speak to someone he loves more than anything else in the world? You remain caught in a constant state of hesitation—perplexed by the thought that even the purest expression of your devotion could be misunderstood. What you long to say with sincerity and tenderness might instead be taken as fragility, or worse, as a sign of weakness.

This poem by Meeraji was one of my earliest compositions, created in the early 1970s for a PTV programme titled Taal Matol and beautifully rendered by Nayyara. At that time, I was in my early twenties, too young perhaps to fully grasp the depth, the subtlety, and the layered dilemmas woven into the poet’s words. Only with the passage of time did I begin to appreciate its profound universality.

As the poem unfolds, it becomes clear that it is not confined to a single emotion or relationship—it resonates across the entire spectrum of human experience. Whether it is love for a beloved, or devotion to the motherland, the same paradox emerges: the very intensity of love becomes a stumbling block to honesty and free expression. When love reaches such depth, one lives in constant fear of being misunderstood, of having one’s purest devotion mistaken for weakness, or one’s truth mistaken for betrayal. This delicate tension between love and expression is what makes the poem timeless, relevant to every stage of life and every form of human bond including citizenship.

I also reworked the melody of the chorus lines, shaping them in a way that would bring out the true weight and emotion of the words, allowing the expression to resonate more deeply with the listener. In South Asian musical terminology, what is often referred to as Asthai and Sanchai carries nuances slightly different from the previous version, though the Antras remain essentially the same. My intention in making these changes was to align the musical phrasing more closely with the poetic flow, so that the meaning and mood of the verses could be experienced with greater clarity and emotional impact.

The entire composition is set in Raag Aiman (also known as Yaman), one of the most graceful and widely cherished evening ragas of the subcontinent. Its serene yet expansive mood perfectly complements the depth of the poetry, lending the song a timeless character. The rhythmic framework is Teen Tal, a 16-beat cycle that is both versatile and foundational in South Asian classical music. This taal provides a balanced yet dynamic structure, allowing the melody to unfold with fluidity while maintaining a strong rhythmic pulse.

Revisiting this work after so many years and re-recording it has been an immensely rewarding experience for me. I hope that as you listen, you find the same joy and resonance in the music that I felt while bringing it to life once again.

Arshad Mahmud


Produced by
Sound Musical Business (SMB Studios)
In association with
MoUSICi

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