By Asia Samachar | Australia |
A Malaysian-born Sikh was involved in singing one of the Sikh hymns in the just released Punjabi film “Sarabha”(Cry For Freedom).
He is none other than Dya Singh, 75, a musician-cum-ex journalist and accountant who now lives in Melbourne, Australia, reports the Weekly Echo.
Dya, who is renowned for his innovative approach towards singing or reviving ancient Sikh hymns, said he was proud to have been involved in the film.
“It was my lifelong dream to actually sing in a movie. So I have ticked my bucket list,” said Dya, whose ancestors also originated from the same district of Ludhiana as Sarabha himself.
Asked how he was picked for one of the movie’s soundtracks, Dya, an Old Boy of Victoria Institution here, told the portal: “I met the director Kavi Raz about 20 years ago when I was on tour with my group in USA. He promised to use our music in one of his movies.
“About five years ago he contacted me and asked if I could produce two pieces of music. One was the popular Western hymn ‘Amazing Grace’. He wanted this to sound as it would be sung in a African-American church. The other was a Sikh hymn ‘Tu Sultan kehan haun Miyan’ (You are the King, but where are you?). He wanted this hymn as it would have been sung in the early 1900’s.
“We did our research and produced both renditions as required. I am yet to see the movie and not sure how many of the renditions have been used. But am proud that there is a Malaysian/Australian input into this blockbuster Punjabi movie. I hope to see the movie in a few days.”
“Sarabha” is a film about a young Indian revolutionary, Kartar Singh Sarabha, who was hanged by the British at the age of 19 in Lahore in 1915. Japtej, an actor from Chandigarh, plays the lead role of Sarabha in the movie.
Read the full story here.
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Congratulations Dya ji for ticking one of list from your “bucket” and hope to see this movie when released here in the UK and hope it gets good reviews ????????????
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