Sameer Anjaan takes us by surprise when he reveals that in his almost four-decade-long career, the closest that he came to penning a patriotic song was with Suno Gaur Se Duniyawalo (Dus, unreleased). Having often binged on tracks like Sandese Aate Hai and Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon, Anjaan knew that he wouldn't let an opportunity to work on a patriotic number pass. When the Indian Army then approached him to pen a track for Kargil Diwas (July 27), Anjaan was only happy to agree.

"The Army narrated stories of Vikram Batra and other martyrs, and asked me to see how the Army-men live. It's hard for us to stay in an area where oxygen is less and temperatures are low. But they manage to stay there for several years," says Anjaan, who visited the Army-men in their bunkers. "As they chronicled the stories, I was surprised to learn of a soldier who was upset for not being given the chance to go to the war-front and give his life for the country. It's hard to comprehend their greatness."