For composer Mannan Shaah, 2024 was a very important year. While one did not get to hear his music as much as one would have liked to, Mannan spent most of the year laying the groundwork for several interesting projects one would get to witness in 2025. Mannan, who is known for his work as a composer on films like ‘Commando: A One Man Army’, ‘Commando 2: The Black Money Trail’, ‘Namaste England’ and ‘Commando 3’, turned a producer with ‘Roop Nagar Ke Cheetey’, a Marathi film which released last year. This year, one would see him not only releasing a lot of music but also taking a giant leap as an entrepreneur.
How was 2024, as a year, for you?
2024 was a game-changer for me. It started with the launch of ‘Dhumal’, the theme song for the Purple Fest. While I composed it, Javed (Akhtar) saab wrote the lyrics. It was received very well and also received appreciation from Shrimati Droupadi Murmu, the Honourable President of India. She declared it as the national anthem for people suffering from disability. Working on a project of this nature was an absolute honour.
This year, one will witness the launch of a musical platform called ‘Goongoonalo’. I am one of its artist members. I have also created a bunch of original tracks for it. We soft-launched it at the All India Music Enclave last year along with several luminaries from our fraternity like Shankar (Mahadevan) ji who is one of the founder members, Ehsaan (Noorani) and Sameer saab (Sameer Anjaan), along with the CEO of the company, Mrs. Sherley Singh.
What was the highpoint for you last year?
I feel happy about the fact that I could set aside a lot of time every day for doing riyaaz. After my ustad ji, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan saab, passed away in 2021, I felt lost. I was not sure as to how to move ahead in my journey in music. I felt engulfed by a sense of helplessness. I started doing my riyaaz in my own way. Now, I am learning from Qadir Mustafa Khan, who is Ustad ji’s son. The process of learning music never stops. I am now enjoying this process of learning under the tutelage of Qadir bhai. Riyaaz is the highest creative satisfaction a musician can get if done correctly. It changes your life both personally and professionally. I am continuing my exploration of Hindustani classical music with a lot more intensity now. I do riyaaz for 6-8 hours every day. I want to delve deeper in this space. Hindustani classical music is not a professional journey. It is a personal journey. This is one thing anybody pursuing it should remember.
What are some of the challenges you faced last year?
Voice culture is something where you constantly feel that you want to get better. Singing a Bandish or a song is not an easy job. When you are doing your riyaaz or recording something or even composing something, you are never going to feel the consistency. Everyday is a new beginning. One has to adapt to climatic changes, we have to train our mind to face any challenges that come our way in the process and be ready to face them. The process should never stop. A day-to-day riyaaz just helps us to at least reach somewhere. It’s like net practice before the match. There are a lot of factors associated with doing the right kind of Riyaaz.
Recently, you composed the official anthem for the Sarthak Educational Trust.
Sarthak Educational Trust is a 16-year-old organization that is working towards providing employment and education to the differently-abled individuals on a large scale. It was formed by Dr. Jitendra Agrawal who has been managing it very well over the years. The anthem turned out to be very well. Having it launched by the Hon. Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla ji at the 11th National Conference of Sarthak was a huge honour for us.
What are you doing next?
I have sung two songs which will come out this year on Goongoonalo. While one has been written by Javed saab, the other song has been penned by Sahil (Sultanpuri) bhai. Since I have invested in it, I am even more excited about its launch. I have also created songs for some other independent labels which shall release this year. I also have a couple of films releasing this year. 2025 will be an important year for me as an artist and entrepreneur.