Ankur Tewari: Wanted to unite polarising views

Ankur Tiwari

Stunned on seeing the violence at Jamia Millia University earlier this month, composer-singer Ankur Tewari put pen to paper to voice his emotions, thus giving rise to Woh hum nahin. Unsurprisingly, his "anthem of love against the agents of hate" moved his fans on social media, and subsequently, the protestors at Carter Road, Bandra, where he performed it. The song also caught the attention of music-streaming app Jio Saavn, which invited Tewari to record it for the platform. "They said the song is about peace and love, and has that feel of an anthem that can bring the world together. They felt it's everything [their company] stands for, and that encouraged me to record it [for them]," Tewari tells mid-day as the track unveiled on the platform yesterday.

Pointing out that an opinion voiced with substantial logic should never be met with criticism, the singer-songwriter laments the atmosphere of fear that has gripped the country. "Violence is not a solution to anything, whether you are in uniform, or not. There are polarising views in the country, and I wanted to unite them, even if the views are opposing. The idea was to lyrically identify what we stand for," he says of the track that reiterates that he isn't one to cower in fear when those in power abuse it. "[With Woh hum nahin] if I constantly speak about the person that I am not, you'll figure out the person that I am." He adds that the team chose to release the anthem on Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary because "on this day, our agent of love was killed by an agent of hate."

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates