Arjuna Harjai’s ‘Zikar Hai’ Brings Natasha Noorani for a Song of Longing

Indian singer-composer and producer Arjuna Harjai teams up with Pakistani pop artist Natasha Noorani for “Zikar Hai,” a buoyant new song that’s the latest in his One Minute Composer series.

Starting off in the familiar place, seated with his wife and co-creator Divya Harjai for the series, the random prompts offered to the composer were the words “Naina,” “Neend” and “Fikar.” Harjai is told by his wife that she wants the vibe of 2020 hit song “O Soniye” and he says, “How will that get made?”

In the course of a 10-minute video on his YouTube, Harjai takes viewers through the process of “Zikar Hai,” which brings in Noorani at the recommendation of music company The Orchard India’s A&R, Srishti Das and lyricist Geet Sagar. A press release states that sonically, Harjai was influenced by video game music, particularly Bare Knuckle and the soundtrack composed by Japanese composer Yuzo Koshiro. Harjai adds, “From there, I tapped into the feelings of new love — the excitement, the yearning, and the sweet anticipation of seeing that special someone again […] These emotions [of feeling new love] are at the heart of this piece, making it a very intimate and heartfelt creation.”

Harjai takes influence from synthwave and amapiano and more for the Punjabi song. “This fusion added a unique layer to this Punjabi composition, making it a distinctive and emotionally rich piece,” he adds.

Recorded between Harjai’s home studio in Leamington the U.K. and Lahore for Noorani, there were several video calls between the artists to give “Zikar Hai” the shape it needed. “Natasha’s vocals added depth and emotion to the track,” Harjai adds. The Pakistani artist adds in a statement, “I was worried that the key wouldn’t match but I’m so glad Arjuna reached out to me and thought my tone would suit the song.” She adds, “I enjoy things that are challenging stylistically for me such as ‘Zikar Hai’ since it’s outside of my usual experimental Urdu pop vibe.”

The song comes with a music video that intersperses footage of Harjai in the U.K. and Noorani in Pakistan, signifying the distance and the longing. Harjai considers “Zikar Hai” as his “personal favorite” among all his releases because of its “rich melodic depth and distinctive production.” He adds, “It’s a culmination of years of experience and growth as a musician and producer. And it’s the first song where I’ve consciously incorporated elements influenced by those unforgettable sounds from my childhood.”

Watch the video for “Zikar Hai” below. Stream “Zikar Hai” here.