“My album Sukoon is a tribute to all the Ghazal greats” – Sanjay Leela Bhansali on his first non-film album Sukoon

By Subhash K. Jha -

December 15, 2021 - 11:42 AM IST

Epic filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali who also composes the music for his films, is all set to release his first independent non-film album. Containing 12 Ghazals sung by various artistes including Papon, Armaan Malik and Bhansali’s discovery Shreya Ghosal, the album Sukoon is, in the filmmaker-composer’s words, his tribute to the Ghazals greats.

“My album Sukoon is a tribute to all the Ghazal greats” – Sanjay Leela Bhansali on his first non-film album Sukoon

Says Bhansali, “I’ve grown up listening to Begum Akhtar, Mehdi Haasan, Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh. My album Sukoon is a tribute to all these Ghazal greats. And yet the compositions and the style of singing are not a copy of these greats. This is a young vibrant attempt to make the Ghazal accessible to the millennials. I hope I’ve succeeded.”

Having heard the album, I can vouch for the uniqueness of the sound. The Ghazal has never sounded so young! This is how one felt when Jagjit Singh had broken the mould and shattered all myths about the Ghazal with his 1977 album The Unforgettables.

Visionary that he is, Bhansali has given a new impetus to the Ghazals. The album also introduces veteran singer Suresh Wadkar’s daughter Ananya. She has a voice that makes you listen.

Says Bhansali, “I grew up listening to Lataji. For me she is the epitome of all that is beautiful in this universe. I search for a glimpse of her voice in all my singers, be it Shreya Ghoshal or Ananya Wadekar.”

Also Read: Sanjay Leela Bhansali spent an entire year to curate his special music album Sukoon