Actor Vedang Raina has revealed how music maestro A.R. Rahman brought together Punjabi folk and jazz for “Ishq Mastana”, a song from the upcoming film “Main Vaapas Aaunga”.
Raina said the unusual musical combination reflects the layered soundscape he explored while preparing for his character Keenu, whose coming-of-age journey unfolds around the period of 1947.
“There’s a song in the film, ‘Ishq Mastana’, that reflects that sort of imbibed music. AR Rahman sir has somehow mixed Punjabi folk with jazz, which sounds bizarre on paper but is beautiful on record,” Raina said in an exclusive quote shared with IANS.
The actor also created a customised playlist to understand the music Keenu could realistically have encountered during that era.
“Given that Keenu’s coming of age took place through 1947, I built a playlist around what he would realistically hear and the music that would’ve played on the radio,” he said.
Raina pointed out that Western music had already made its way into Punjab during the period, alongside traditional Punjabi sounds.
“Frank Sinatra was just getting big; there was Bing Crosby, a strong jazz influence, which is surprising if you think about Punjab at the time. You’d assume it was all Punjabi folk, and a lot of it was, but colonisation meant Western music had seeped in too. I also went deep into Kundan Lal Saigal and Alam Lohar,” he added.
The actor had earlier spoken about his association with Rahman, describing the collaboration as a full-circle moment. Raina said he had once made covers of Rahman’s compositions and never imagined he would eventually get an opportunity to record with the Oscar-winning composer.
In a social media video shared in May, Raina recalled listening repeatedly to Rahman’s “Roja” album as a child and dedicated the collaboration to the younger version of himself who had dreamed of working with the composer.
He also thanked filmmaker Imtiaz Ali for trusting him with the project and said he hoped to do justice to the opportunity.
“Ishq Mastana” is part of “Main Vaapas Aaunga”, which brings together Raina’s acting and musical interests in a period setting shaped by Punjab’s cultural landscape.