To give every Indian a number, Team Nilekani has own number

New Delhi: A lone, distinct ektara tune leads into the official theme song for Aadhaar and as the tempo picks up, a medley of musical instruments from all parts of India — ravan hatha, madal, mridangam — lend a diversity that merges poetry with procedure, a melody that officials hope will grow on people, inducing them to register for their 12-digit unique identification (ID) number.



This is the clarion call to enrol for Aadhaar, a project of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chaired by Nandan Nilekani. Called Yeh Hai Meri Pehchaan, the official theme song for Aadhaar is due for formal launch this month-end by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The brief was precise: "Song should feel Indian. Key messages should be conveyed via lyrics. Song should be melodious." But it was no easy task. It had to be infused with dignity, had to be inclusive of the diversity of India, but at no point sound like a propaganda song.

Incorporating all this in a three-minute song that she had to produce in less than a week's time was a daunting yet exciting task for Preeti Sagar, the former Bollywood singer known for her Seventies Julie hit My heart is beating. UIDAI first thought of such a song for the project in August, and contacted the National Film Development Corporation.




Citing what Shakira's Waka Waka did for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UIDAI Deputy Director General Nirmal Kumar Sinha says that's what they were looking for. "Aadhaar is a programme for the marginalised, neglected people... everyone. We wanted the song to address everyone."

Sagar sat with K Shailendra, a native of Jhansi and a composer, at her Mumbai house on an August afternoon, trying to incorporate the process of UIDAI registration into poetry, yet conveying the message in simple words. After all, the target audience included everyone from a homeless family on Delhi's streets to a CEO sitting in an upscale office.



"When we composed the part 'Apne apne naam aayega', we started thinking how this will happen. Then we thought about the process and the biometrics, and the lines started coming to us," said Sagar, who produced the song along with sister Namita.

"We can't say 'take it'. This is a request... We sat over it. We thought about the people it would cater to. At every step, one was so nervous."




When Sagar flew to Delhi to meet Sinha, he was impressed. The lyrics, he felt, not only fit the project's purpose but also reflect its logo -- a sun-and-thumb impression designed by Pune software engineer Atul Kumar Pandey.

But for "minor corrections", said UIDAI Director General R S Sharma, they were "in the process of finalising the song". For composing the music, Sagar approached Rajat Dholakia, who had composed the music jointly with A R Rahman for the Genda phool song in Delhi 6. He is also credited with bringing Chhattisgarhi folk music to mainstream Bollywood.

Folk musicians from all regions were called for recording in the studio. They would use everything -- from the traditional santoor, ektara, ravan hatha, mridangam, tabla, bansuri, dholak and madal to piano, strings, guitar and drums. The guitar and drums were meant to reach out to urban india and the affluent, groups they are finding difficult to reach out to given their low need for such an identification system.





"We didn't use any electronic music. We wanted to cover the north, east, south, west, all of India," says Sagar. The song was sung by Javed Ali, who sang Jashn-e-bahaara in Jodha Akbar, and Richa Sharma, who lent her voice to Maahi Ve and Sajda numbers.

The song is also being translated into major Indian languages. A Telugu version, sung by Karunya and Apoorva, has already been recorded and now the team is working on a Marathi version as the official launch will be in Maharashtra. They are also working on the visuals, and will book radio and television spots.

While recording the song, Sagar said she placed her mobile phone in speaker mode to let her family hear it live. She needed their inputs. "They loved it," she said.

Source: Indian Express