Naren's indie round-up/ Oct 2024, Ep 3

Penned by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the nazm 'Dasht-e-Tanhai' was made famous by singer Iqbal Bano, also from Pakistan. Now, we have a remarkable adaptation by Agra-born, New York-based artiste Apoorva Mudgal.

Using the same melody, Apoorva's rendition is more loungey. The use of Ria Modak's guitar, Yacouba Sissoko's kora, Doug Wieselman's clarinet and Dan Kingsberg's bass gives it a unique flavour, with the vocals bringing out loneliness and nostalgia effectively.

Apoorva has directed the video herself, using white, grey and brown beautifully. It's a wonderful tribute to both Faiz and Iqbal Bano.