‘We have to keep the flame burning’: Kashmiri musician Alif on his song ‘Fitna Fitoor’

Alif’s art is a personal expression of his true self; he progressed from poetry to music, guided by Celia Lobo. He believes anything good will reach people, but it’s how long it takes to resonate that matters. His latest single Fitna Fitoor conveys the message to keep one’s flame burning amidst chaos.

Speaking to singer-songwriter Mohammad Muneem (popularly known by his stage name, Alif), you quickly realise he does not merely reply to questions; he offers reflections. Sample:-

“What makes you put pen on paper or compose a tune?” 

“I think great things happen when you step out of yourself and face your own insecurities. It’s not easy as we often worry about what society will say. We tend to doubt ourselves and halt our progress, sabotaging our potential and ignoring our instincts. But those who have achieved greatness did so because they found a way to break free from these self-imposed limitations. They learned to push themselves beyond their comfort zone and kept moving forward, even if it was just one step at a time.”

The Kashmiri musician’s latest single, ‘Fitna Fitoor’, from his upcoming album Siyah, conveys a similar thought. “Everybody has this madness, a desire to win amidst the chaos. How much to pursue and how much to let go? Even during difficult moments, you must find a way to keep your flame burning,” says Alif about the song.

He conceived and composed it 10 years ago. Asked why the release took so long, he, once again, gets contemplative. “I think everything has its time. Earlier, we had thought of releasing it with another album in 2017. But it didn’t happen. After that, we wanted to do something special with it. When we got in touch with the Supari Studios team in Mumbai (who produced the music video), things started to feel right, like this was the perfect opportunity for the song to come to life.”

Alif has been featured in Coke Studio Bharat, won the IIMA Award for his song ‘Ride Home’, and the IRAA Award for his single ‘Like a Sufi’. He also wrote dialogues for the Sanjay Dutt-starrer Torbaaz (2020) and recently ventured into acting with the second season of Made In Heaven. Since 2014, he has also been teaching song-writing and poetry at Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune. 

But he seems to be more of an artist than an entertainer. For, self-expression is the primary purpose of his art.