Indian Idol 10 winner Salman Ali and playback singer Vipin Aneja (Jazbaa and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster) are out with an original track called Manzar coupled with a music video. The duo announced the launch of the song on their social media. This soft and melodious song is written by lyricist Gilbert Chettiar, Founder of Lafzon Music & directed by Devansh Patel. The song featuring Prashantt Guptha was shot during the pandemic across interesting locales in Mumbai.
Manzar is a beautiful song that captures the struggles of an individual, in this case a photographer who has lost his smile in the throes yet saying “smile please’’ is a part of his daily routine. He pushes himself to surge through the crisis and tries to bring back smiles to people around him by clicking portraits, in turn finds his inner joy and regains his smile.
Talking about the birth of Manzar and how the lyrics came into life, lyricist and musicpreneur Gilbert Chettiar said, “Only when the world around us shuts down, we begin to realize and become more aware of the reality around us and value things despite the vexatious thoughts occurring during crisis situations. I wrote Mnazar in August 2020 sitting here in London. Manzar was born out of separation, hardship and the frustration of the pandemic. Manzar to me is self-realization. Manzar is a reflection of my thoughts and an effort toward centeredness. The song portrays the emotions which were hidden deep down inside me. Whilst I was still trying to reconnect with myself in difficult times.I didn’t realize that happiness can be found in minuscule things. A song like Manzar cannot be written in a jiffy. Though I wrote Manzar in just one hour, it took a strenuous effort to express the dilemma.”
Tracing his journey with music which began with winning Indian Idol Season 10 and now the vocals for Manzar, Salman Ali says, “ I always wanted to collaborate with Vipin bhai & I’m grateful that he thought of me for this song. People will love the amalgamation of two completely different genres in this song as I come from a sufi style and Vipin bhai has a soulful ghazalish voice texture. In addition to this song like ‘Manzar’ is the need of the hour.”
Adding to Salman Ali, singer Vipin Aneja said, “After singing “Jaane Tere Shehar Ka” for Irrfan khan in the film Jazba, I could resonate with Manzar the same way. I instantly fell in love with the lyrics & composition of Manzar. Also, it’s just apt in today’s times when there is misery all around and we have lost our smiles. This will bring back smiles on the faces of people.”
Director Devansh Patel said, “The day we shot Manzar, on the streets of Bandra, we realised that it was turning out to be much more than just a music video. Manzar was born out of separation, hardship and the frustration of the pandemic. A song this personal needed a personal story too. With poignant lyrics, mesmerising vocals, simple melody and an even simpler utopian message, Manzar was created for common people like us. Beyond lives and livelihood, the pandemic took away the most personal, powerful and profound emotion that unites mankind – our smile. Gilbert and Lafzon Music brings you a poignant parable of a photographer who has lost all hope in these trying times and sets out to capture the varied emotions of Mumbai and Mumbaikars. As the great Charlie Chaplin once said, “You’ll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile. Manzar is an ode to humanity.”
