Dudul Saikia in his studio. A Telegraph picture

Guwahati, Aug. 31: Several summers ago, a young man from the small town of Jorhat landed in Mumbai in search of a musical identity in tinsel town.

Young music director Dudul Saikia — now a well-known name in music circles with several hit albums under his belt — has just become the first from the Northeast to compose music for a Pakistani singer.

And it is unlikely that anyone will take offence to this cross-border bonding, unlike the political turmoil over one man’s praise of another.

Saikia, a self-made musician, composed the music for the song Tu hi tu hai for the album Tabeer by the popular Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali. The song has become a big hit in Pakistan and is turning out to be the USP of the new album.

“It is a privilege to work for Amanat Ali, who is basically a classical singer. Music has no barriers and this song is dedicated to the unique musical traditions of the two countries,” Saikia told The Telegraph from Mumbai, where he is based.

Amanat Ali is best known in India for his soulful rendition of Mitwa from the Bollywood film Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerjee.

He has also sung in other Hindi films like Dor, Hello, Mumbai Cuttings and Aashayen.

Saikia, on the other hand, has followed a rich tradition of Assamese musicians like Bhupen Hazarika, Pritam and Zubeen Garg to make a name for himself in the cut-throat music industry.

Saikia has composed music for several albums and worked with directors like Preetam, Rajesh Roshan and Anand Raj Anand. But he is now set to make his debut as a solo music director in a yet-to-be-named Bollywood film.

“It has been real hard work but I feel satisfied now as people are accepting my music,” he said.

The youngest of three brothers and a sister, 30-year-old Saikia’s first brush with music was when his father — a retired agricultural engineer — gifted him a keyboard while he was about 10 years old.

“I started playing the keyboard by myself and found that I had a flair for music,” Saikia recalled.

He was soon to become a regular on stage shows in Jorhat, considered the cultural capital of the state, accompanying some well-known singers, including Zubeen.

“Our association (with Zubeen) goes back many, many years and we almost started our careers together. Now, too, we are working together,” he added.

Saikia, who worked in TV serials and ad jingles, composed music for Zubeen in the Hindi album Zindagi.