“The first comment was from Dr. K Radhakrishnan, ISRO Chairman 2009-14,” says Vineet Singh Hukmani on the response he got on ‘ISRO India Ka Asli Hero’ - Exclusive

In a harmonious tribute to the boundless spirit of India's space exploration endeavors, musical artist Vineet Singh Hukmani crafted a melodic masterpiece ‘ISRO India Ka Asli Hero’. With his latest song, Vineet has paid homage to the tireless dedication and brilliance of the scientists and engineers who have propelled India into the cosmos. Interestingly, Vineet who is famous for his English tracks, has released this song in Hindi. Talking about the same in an interaction with ETimes, Vineet shared how he ended up making his debut Hindi song.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

“I had been following the Chandrayaan 3 mission very closely, right from launch, as I am a total science geek. The last hour before the lunar landing I was on the edge of my seat and in those last moments just before the touchdown, I was literally not breathing, as I did not want to miss a moment! When it did happen and everyone around erupted with joy and pride, the moment was surreal for me. I have colossal respect for the capabilities and dedication of our ISRO scientists and was overwhelmed with happiness to witness their success! Their prowess in precision and all of them, working as one team, to achieve one goal, redefined the word ‘hero’ for me in my heart. That is when I wrote down the title of my song - ‘ISRO. India ka asli hero’!”

“I had no intention or plan of writing a song before that day! However, in that moment when I saw the ISRO scientists celebrating with joy and relief, in equal measure, something transformed in me! I witnessed such contrasting emotions - a powerful surge of pride and joyful tears. Every thought I was thinking was an evocative expression in Hindi and I wanted to express my praise for them in my own way. I did not sleep that night. The next morning a close friend of mine called me and said ‘You should do a song about this’ and soon after, I witnessed the quiet confidence of our hero ISRO scientists, while launching the Aditya L1 mission. By then the song began to write itself. I wanted the song to be an upbeat celebration that everyone could sing together, with lyrics that praise the amazing ISRO team, and feelings of happy patriotism that unite us forever in the memory of that day, that moment! I added the line ‘Badhte Chalo’ in the chorus to offer ISRO our collective motivation and confidence for all future missions.”

“The response and messages have been so heartfelt, as probably people recognize that the song originates from a very special, spontaneous place in my heart! Listeners of the song and viewers of the video have been saying the song has an anthemic feel and that it highly resonates with them. A comment said that if Chak De India was a sports anthem then, ISRO. India ka asli hero was an anthem for science and the progress of the nation! The first comment on the Youtube video said, ‘Excellent’ and I was overjoyed to see that it was from Dr K Radhakrishnan, ISRO Chairman 2009-14 who gave us the successful Mars Orbiter Mission - Mangalyaan!”

“At one level this song, my first in Hindi, has brought about a melodic and lyrical expression that I didn't know I was capable of. While I am happy and grateful for this realization, I am equally watchful, not to rush into new songs just for the sake of it. I want to be thoroughly inspired like I was at this moment. My earlier release called ‘Elevate’, a song about unity and harmony, in English, but enriched with Indian semi-classical musicality, has just been accepted for Grammy submission and consideration in 4 categories! I feel the power of Indian emotions in global music is a global game changer, and I do hope I can continue to do justice!”

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