For the very first time, Shreya Ghoshal has featured in a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore, called Ujaan, which was composed by Salim-Sulaiman. Last month, they unveiled their ninth song from Bhoomi 2024 (the fifth edition of their annual pan-India music project).
The song Ujaan, sung by Shreya Ghoshal, with lyrics by Srijato climbed the popularity charts with its dulcet melody that tugs at the heartstrings. A heartfelt tribute to the poet, this song is the first Bengali project that Salim-Sulaiman worked on.
“Collaborating on our first Bengali song for Bhoomi 2024 has been an incredible journey. The opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary Rabindranath Tagore through music is a humbling experience. Working with Shreya Ghoshal, whose voice brings unparalleled depth and collaborating with Srijato has made this project truly special,” said Salim Merchant on this collaboration. “Exploring the rich musical traditions of Tagore’s legacy was inspiring, and Shreya’s rendition brought it to life in the most magical way,” added Sulaiman Merchant.
“This song is very internal, I’ve never done something like this before. It’s a beautiful, sensitive, intelligent tribute to the great poet, Rabindranath Tagore, with such beautiful imagery as a tribute to his imagination. The representation of nature and love has been thoughtfully done, with a chhatim tree from Santiniketan as a prop on stage. This is the first time I got ready in a Bengali red sari with the draping. It was lovely working with Satrajit as a director. It was a very fulfilling experience and I am so happy working on Ujaan,” shared Shreya Ghoshal.
Satrajit Sen, the creative director of the music video, shared some of his insights on the project. “Salim had told me about this when I had gone to release another album of ours. And he said that there’s something special they planned to do with Shreya, a Tagore album or a single. When Shreya visited the studio, she suggested that it would be great if they could have Srijato write the song and that’s how he was roped in. I had just wrapped up shooting for my film and coincidentally they gave me a call and we all got on a video call and Shreya told me about the song and asked me to get on board. They wanted me to visualise the song because it was a Bengali song,” he said.
The lyrics of the song capture the essence of Tagore’s poetry and dwell upon the magic and beauty of nature. Ujaan stands out as a number that speaks to the soul, the melody — a lilting yet powerful one — evokes emotions that deeply resonate with the listeners. In the song, you’ll hear Shreya Ghoshal recite Tagore verses from the Gitobitan.
“While at the studio Shreya read the verses of the songs aloud, and that was when they came up with the idea that she recites some verses while singing,” said Satrajit, sharing insights about the making of the song.
“My DoP Tuhin and I had a couple of brainstorming sessions with the team and we flew to Mumbai for the shoot. We re-imagined some symbols like sights from Santiniketan and the chhatim tree. This was the first time Shreya decked up in a typical Bengali attire. The video was shot at PVR Dynamix in Juhu. I carried the Gitobitan with me, which you can see in the music video. And being the perfectionist that she is, she gave as many shots as required for the scenes. This proves how she’s attentive to details and it was a very humbling experience to work with her. Bengalis are sensitive about Rabindranath Tagore, so they consulted me before releasing the posters and creatives as well. I think all of the credit has to go to Shreya... a Bengali song became a part of Bhoomi 2024, as the tune she felt was perfect for a Bangla song, and we got really positive reviews and feedback, especially from her fans,” he added.
“To speak about Salim-Sulaiman, we’ve worked together before and there’s a bond that’s developed over the last few years and it’s only getting stronger. The best moment was to watch Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan performing Chhaila, a part of Bhoomi 2024, right before our shoot. They’re great together,” he added.