Voice from the Valley

Growing up in the tiny hamlet of Aru in the Pehalgam district of Kashmir,14-year-old Mehrajuddin Rather never thought his dream of making it as a singer would come true. But a spectacular twist of fate landed him a bit role in Piyush Jha’s directorial debut,Sikandar. Better still,Jha allowed him to sing a three-minute theme song Arzoo. Rather is overwhelmed but is slowly understanding the significance of this exposure,all the more unreal since he’s never stepped foot outside Kashmir. “I have never seen so many cameras together at one place,” says Rather,his shirt buttoned down and hair neatly combed to one side. “I was told to be natural and sing. I just focused on doing that well,” he adds. Jha says he chose him while scouting for locations in the Valley. “Rather walks 12 km every day with his kid sister to the school and spends his free time in the stables where his dad runs a pony business. “My parents are very excited by my song,but right now I’m concentrating on school,” he smiles.