Attari border concert: AR Rahman pays musical tribute to Bravehearts at Beating Retreat

Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman delivered his first-ever live performance in Punjab at the Attari border during the Beating Retreat ceremony. The performance concluded with Rahman’s iconic “Maa Tujhe Salaam”.

Amritsar: Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman on Sunday delivered his first-ever live performance at the Attari border post in Punjab where he paid a musical tribute to the Border Security Force.

Held during the Beating Retreat ceremony at JCP Stadium, the event was titled “Jai Ho — A Musical Salute to the Bravehearts” and came ahead of the release of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s new film “Main Vaapas Aaunga”, a cross border drama which features music by Rahman.

The musician opened the event, which drew thousands of visitors, with his composition “Chanda Suraj Lakhon Taare” before moving into songs from “Main Vaapas Aaunga”.

“Maskara” was performed by Nilanjana Ghosh and Vedang Raina, who plays a young man in pre-Partition India in the film.

It was followed by “Ishq Mastana”, rendered by Mohit Chauhan alongside singers Pooja Tiwari and Nargis.

The event concluded with Rahman’s celebrated composition “Maa Tujhe Salaam”.

Besides Ali, Rahman and Raina, the event was also attended by the film’s producers — Ananya Birla of Birla Studios and Mohit Choudhary of Window Seat Films.

The team dedicated the film’s music album to the courage and sacrifice of the Indian armed forces personnel.

Ali said the performance was “an ode to the national spirit, to our bravehearts on the border, the BSF and the Indian Army, and to the spirit of solidarity and love that binds us all”.

“We are very happy that we had the chance to welcome A R Rahman to Punjab for the first time, here in Attari. He had never been to Punjab before that. It is our fortune that he came here and her performed at the Attari border. No other artist had this honour. And the film that we have made, ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’, it is about the Partition, which Punjab knows very well. “It is one such love story, a heart-warming story. This name because those who left their homes during the Partition, they made this promise. Many left letters outside their homes, left their jewellery with neighbours, their children with their neighbours…We played the music from the movie and we dedicated this to the BSF and all the armed forces of India,” Ali told reporters here.

“Main Vaapas Aaunga” is set against the backdrop of the Partition of India and draws on stories of love and longing from that era.

The movie stars Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari Wagh and Raina in the lead roles. Its music is composed by Rahman with lyrics by Irshad Kamil, reuniting the trio that previously collaborated on “Rockstar”, “Tamasha” and “Amar Singh Chamkila”.

The film is scheduled to be released in theatres on June 12.