Fight song

Composer and singer ANURAG HALDER tells SRIJITA SEN that it was the power of belief which buoyed him and made him rise against the odds

- SRIJITA SEN

Anurag Halder's journey strikes a deeply familiar chord, that of a middle-class dreamer, eyes lit with ambition yet shoulders weighed down by responsibility. Raised in a modest household in Kolkata and educated at a government school, he was expected to follow the conventional script: earn a respectable degree, secure a stable job and lead a life of quiet security. Engineering was deemed the obvious route. But Anurag had a different rhythm playing in his heart. He skipped classes, clashed with his parents - yet never abandoned his dream of becoming a musician. In 2013, chasing the music that moved him, he relocated to Mumbai after gaining visibility through reality shows. It wasn't an easy ride. He recalls a time when his parents, unable to accept his choices, asked him to leave home. But perseverance has a sound of its own and for Anurag, it was unmistakably musical. In 2019, he released Faasla as an independent artiste, which went on to earn a nomination at the Indian Independent Music Awards. His breakthrough came with Kashtiya, released by Zee Music in 2020, cementing his place in the indie-pop space. His hauntingly beautiful track Adhuri, shot in the stunning terrains of Ladakh and released by Pehchan Music, brought him further recognition. His evocative single Kyun bewajah also gained significant popularity. Alongside his Hindi discography, Anurag has kept his Bengali roots alive through soulful releases such as Tui elina, Ghum pahara, Cholo jaai, and Icche kore. Today, he speaks with a humble sense of triumph, recalling how surreal it felt to compose for the Bengali film Maa Kali, with music legends Sonu Nigam and Kailash Kher lending their voices to his work. Anurag Halder is more than just a singer, lyricist and composer. He is a testament to the power of holding on to one's passion, even when the world urges you to let go.