Kashmiri singer Shameema Akhtar floors crowd at Marathi Sahitya Sammelan: ‘Sharad Pawar insisted she perform before PM Modi’

From the moment Shameema took the stage to sing Maharashtra Geet, raising the tempo to the words jai jai Maharashtra majha, to her recital of Pasaydaan in chaste Marathi, the intellectual gathering at Vigyan Bhavan was captivated. She never let her guard down as she kept the crowd glued to their seats, ultimately receiving a standing ovation at the end of her two performances.

The dignitaries, including the prime minister, the chief minister and Sharad Pawar, seemed impressed by her crooning skills, even though there was no mention of her in the leaders’ speeches.

Speaking to The Indian Express on Sunday, Shameema said she was a little nervous as it was her first solo performance, and that too in front of the prime minister. “I was not scared but was overawed by the situation. When none other than the prime minister of the country is among the audience, it is but natural to feel a little tense and nervous,” said Shameema, who mostly wears the pheran and kasaba—traditional Kashmiri outfits.

Shameema did not practice Maharashtra Geet and Pasaydaan on the day of the event. “Days before the event, I had practised hard to ensure that I got them right on the big occasion… There was a small slip of the tongue during the Maharashtra Geet, but I recovered quickly,” she said.

It was her first big performance outside Maharashtra. “I have performed in Pune and even in Kashmir, but this was my first performance in front of an intellectual gathering and the nation’s bigwigs. I am glad I passed the test with flying colours,” she said.

Shameema, however, is not aware that she received a standing ovation from the Marathi manoos who had gathered in New Delhi, having come not just from Maharashtra but also from other states and even foreign countries. “I was so deeply engrossed in my performance… I had closed my eyes… I did not notice the huge applause that came my way,” she said.

Shameema did not seem to mind that the prime minister and chief minister did not mention her in their speeches. They did praise Tara Bhavalkar, president of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, though.

“But they applauded me… The presence of the prime minister at the event was an overwhelming experience,” said Shameema, who is popular for devotional songs in Kashmiri, Punjabi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Bengali, Dogri and Kannada.

“I love the Marathi language. I picked it up quickly… I first write the songs or prayers in Urdu text and then lend my voice to it. I first record the dummy to understand the meaning of the words. This helps me give expression to my emotions. I also get it cross-checked from experts and mentors just to ensure that I have got it right,” she said.

Hailing from Argam village in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, Shameema came to Pune in 2017 for a Kashmiri Festival organised by Sarhad. “I sort of fell in love with the culture and tradition of Maharashtra… Now I have become a Punekar,” she said.

She teaches music at the schools run by Sarhad in Pune.

Shameema said she learnt the art of singing in Pune. “It was Sushma Nahar who urged me to try my voice for a Maratha song. And when I did it successfully, it increased my confidence, and from there, there has been no looking back,” she said.

Shameema studied music at Bhatkhande Music University, Lucknow. There, she met Mohammad Mazhar Siddique, a singer and a music composer whom she later married. “When Shameema performed the way she did in front of the august gathering, I felt a sense of pride…She put in a wonderful performance and got a big round of applause. It was an emotional moment for us,” said Siddique.