Big B lends his voice to city anthem

As Mumbai prepares to look back at the tragedy that unfolded a year ago, on 26/11, the city police — which lost some of its bravest men on that fateful day — approached singer Sonu Niigaam to compose an anthem that salutes the spirit of the city.

Among those who will be lending their voice to this endeavour is actor Amitabh Bachchan.  “A tribute yes, but more on the spirit of Mumbai, its resilience and its character of being able to withstand all storms. You may try to damage us, but you will never succeed in bending or breaking us,” Bachchan told DNA.

Sonu added: “The Mumbai police approached me to compose a soulful song that will be the anthem for Mumbai. I don’t think any city in India has an anthem. This is the first time a particular city will have its own song.” The song also pays homage to the hundreds of people who lost their lives in the carnage. 

Apart from Bachchan, the song also features 14 prominent singers, including Sonu. They include the likes of Hariharan, Shaan, Kailash Kher, Jagjit Singh, Suresh Wadkar, Kunal Ganjawala, Talat Aziz, Roop Kumar Rathod, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan, Alka Yagnik, Richa Sharma and Mahalaxmi Iyer.

“We all think it’s a lovely concept and wanted to do our bit for the cause,” said Sonu. “The lyrics of the song have been written by Subuu and having Amitabh Bachchan to sing for it was an honour. His coming on board has made the initiative’s aim a fruitful one.”