‘I want to help preserve Uttarakhand culture through my songs’

When Girish Jeena, from the Himalayan village of Bhikiyasain in Uttarakhand’s Almora district, began writing songs and poems as a hobby, he never imagined his work would one day captivate international audiences. The 32-year-old, who works as an office administrator at Jim Corbett National Park, has always had a passion for songwriting. This passion led to the creation of the Kumaoni song ‘Gulabi sharara,’ which went viral, amassing over 225 million views on YouTube and inspiring more than 5 million Instagram reels. In an exclusive interview with Village Square, Jeena talks about his journey, the unexpected fame, Uttarakhand culture and the personal stories behind his beloved songs. Excerpts:

Village Square: Please tell us more about your beginnings. How did your relationship with songwriting start?

Girish Jeena: I come from a humble background. My father was a farmer, and I was very young when he died in an accident. After that, it was just my mother and us five siblings. I didn’t study much due to our circumstances, but I always loved writing. When we would go to the forest to collect firewood, I always carried a pen and notebook to jot down my thoughts.

I spent most of my free time writing songs. The first song I properly wrote, sang and released was during the Covid-19 lockdown. It was about people returning to the mountains after losing their jobs in the cities. I released it on YouTube with the help of the Young Uttarakhand Group. That marked the beginning of my professional journey in songwriting, alongside my regular job with the forest department.

VS: Can you share some of your favourite songs that you have written and your process for writing them?

GJ: One of the songs closest to my heart is ‘Nanu baujyu’, which I wrote in 2020 about the problem of alcoholism. It was received very well and has over 15 million views. I am disciplined when it comes to writing. If I decide to finish a song today, I won’t sleep until it’s done. I use my personal experiences to connect the lyrics and make them interesting for listeners. ‘Gulabi sharara’ also came about after a conversation with my wife.

VS: Coming to the successful ‘Gulabi sharara’ song, how did that happen?

GJ: One day, my wife asked me to buy her a sharara outfit for a wedding. The word clicked with me. Shararas were in trend, and I thought it would be interesting to create a song around it. I started writing and took it to the Young Uttarakhand Group, who liked the idea. We approached Inder Arya, a popular singer in Uttarakhand, who agreed to collaborate with us. The entire process, from writing to release, took about three months.

Also Read: ‘My songs come from my heart’: Pushpan Pradhan

We wanted to shoot the song in the mountains but ended up filming near Haldwani and Ramnagar due to the rainy season. It was a deeply personal experience, with many people coming together for this one song. I am so grateful that our hard work paid off.

VS: And what a craze this song sparked! Were you expecting so much love?

GJ: Honestly, I didn’t expect so much. I am truly grateful for everything. This song was even played during cricket matches and the recent Ambani wedding. There were millions of reels made on it by people worldwide, including celebrities.

However, the song didn’t perform well for the first month or two. It gained traction after our choreographer Ankit Kumar created a dance reel, which was picked up by other influencers.

After that, the views surged. I remember we got 25 lakh views in just one day. The popularity helped our YouTube channel earn the “silver play button”, and the producer was approached by Bollywood for more songs.

VS: Did the popularity of this song change how people viewed you as an artiste?

GJ: Yes, it did. Success brings respect not just to the individual but to their entire family. This song gave me a lot of respect and love from my community and family. Earlier, my wife sometimes got angry because she always found me writing songs in my free time, worrying I was wasting my time. But this song validated my efforts.

VS: Do you think you can take up songwriting as a full-time profession now?

GJ: I don’t think so. A job provides financial stability that this field can’t offer. Songwriters, especially regional ones like me, earn barely Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 a song, with no guarantee of how long it will take to finish or when the next song will come. It’s just not feasible right now. There’s not enough space in the industry for regional writers.

VS: What about the future? Is there anything you are working on that you want to share?

GJ: I will continue to write. I recently made a song about the youth from Uttarakhand and their passion for joining the hotel industry. I want to work towards preserving the music and culture of Uttarakhand. I have written around 50 songs and want to write more that connect with the youth. I want to convey a message to young artistes aspiring to join a creative field to stay focused and work honestly. There is success hidden in each step; you just need to work hard enough to find it.

Also Read: Music: The melody of life and safe motherhood

The lead image on top shows a ‘Gulabi sharara’ poster, with lyricist Girish Jeena (extreme right) and singer Inder Arya (far left).

Shreya Pareek is a solution journalist with over 10 years of experience in covering stories of positive social change.