Watch Shimla Singer-Songwriter Jasmine Chandla’s Sorrowful Look at Kashmir on ‘Aaj Bhool Gaye’
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh-based lensman Kanwar Pal Singh aids the acoustic song with a music video set in Srinagar
In her warm, spirited vocal delivery, singer-songwriter Jasmine Chandla carries melancholy for Kashmiris from the strife-torn territory in her new song “Aaj Bhool Gaye.”
A published author and research scholar who studied “the narratives of Kashmir,” Chandla says in a statement that her findings led to creating “Aaj Bhool Gaye,” which is dedicated to people who have lost their lives prematurely in the union territory. Aided by guitarist Rohit Joshi – from Chandigarh rock band Swastik – Chandla sings about broken promises and lost intentions in a wistful manner that leans toward resigned at times and bittersweet at others. The frosty lens of fellow Himachal photographer Kanwar Pal Singh captures the daily lives of Kashmiris in peak winter – bundled up in layers, some indifferent and others amused as they walk about or paddle their boats across Dal Lake.
She adds in her statement, “The song is reminiscing about all the people, Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiri Muslims and armed forces, who lost their lives in the Kashmir conflict. The vision of the artists involved [in this song] is to condemn any form violence which ultimately leads to nothing but loss of life, property and childhood. Humanity should be above everything.”
The Hindi song is the third release from the Shimla-based artist, who previously put out singles such as “Chambe Patne” in 2019 and “Barish Ki Boondey” in early 2020.
Watch the video for “Aaj Bhool Gaye” below.