Vishal Mishra: Artistes are like frontline workers

By Arundhuti Banerjee

Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Singer-composer Vishal Mishra feels artistes are like frontline workers because they help people overcome stress and anxiety in testing times as the ongoing global pandemic.

“I think artistes who are constantly writing music, putting out videos, and entertaining everyone since the last one year while staying at home are also acting like frontline workers. Artistes are frontline workers. Our audience never knows what mental condition we are going through while singing a song but what keeps us going is their love. If I, as a singer-songwriter creating a song with a video and watching that video, is offering my viewers at least five minutes of a good time, an escape from the brutal reality we see on news channels, I think we are doing our job right,” Vishal told IANS.

The singer recently released the single “Tu bhi sataya jayega”. Co-written by Kaushal Kishore, the music video features Jamin Bhasin and Aly Goni. The video has been conceptualised by Vishal and directed by Navjit Buttar.

Vishal added: “When I was doing post-production of my song ‘Tu bhi sataya jayega’, both my parents were Covid positive. Every member of my team was also positive, so all of us were in isolation. I cannot express the kind of anxiety I had, naturally. It is hard to conceive a happy song when everything around you is sad, people are losing lives due to the pandemic and you know there’s no treatment for the disease. But we are artistes, we cannot give up on hope and showing people hope, at times making something to escape them from the reality.”

“That is why I feel, we artistes are dealing with the difficulties from the front, exactly like the way those essential service workers, staff at the banks, and every other frontline worker helping all of us to find some ease in the tough time,” added music composer known for his music in films like “Munna Michael”, “Qarib Qarib Singlle”, “Kabir Singh” and “Saand Ki Aankh” among others.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)

–IANS

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