Shaan: Be patient, but do not treat them like patients

Well aware of the acclaim that the original song garnered singer Shaan admits that the revisited version of Tanha dil is not likely to evoke nostalgia Itrsquos a risk hersquos willing to take given that in addressing the issues of mental health with this version he is bringing attention to a subject that is not only pressing but also one that hits closer to homeEdited excerpts from the interviewYoursquove spoken about wanting to make a song on mentalhealth since a while but why did you choose this one to address itBecause no other line aptly summarised what someone battling clinical depression endures These words encapsulate the feeling of loneliness and helplessness that they encounter If anyone hopes to revisit the rsquo90s song and groove to it with this remake theyrsquore going to be disappointed Thatrsquos not happening This is a different song which only includes the crux of the old numberWhat matters pertaining to mental health are being addressed in this numberAll of it The subject hits closer to home because my wife was diagnosed with depression For months I couldnrsquot understand it I had to learn that it was a condition that she couldnrsquot simply brush under the carpet When people spoke about it Irsquod find myself wondering why welltodo people were going through it and how the common man would deal with situations if the wealthy were battling depression But I learnt that this has nothing to do with being wealthy If an educated person like me could not understand it how would another person comprehend the situation if their spouse or mother was going through it Of course wersquove taken liberties to make it cinematic and entertaining We had to amend the first draft to tone down the lyrics We donrsquot want to scare listeners Establishing the solution is importantAlso Read Tanha Dil clocks 20 years new version to highlight mental health reveals ShaanAs the spouse of someone who battled clinical depression what did you learn about the importance of your roleThat it is important to not rush the person during recovery else the person may feel victimised You need to be with the person and reason with them But you also have to be sensitive lest they hide things from you One needs to be patient but donrsquot treat the person like a patient The more normal you are the quicker the person can deal with it Having said that the fight is for the individual to wage Support is vital but unless the person is strong enough to face it it is tough The person needs to fight the brain with the brainAlso when the medication is needed it must be taken Donrsquot we take them for other conditionsThatrsquos where I went wrong I was opposed to my wife taking meds because I thought once we walk down that road it would be tough to pull back But if you know that meds will help them denying that chance is terribleAfter having been part of a variety of projects this year what is in the pipeline for youWersquove done a lot of Bengali tracks during the puja season that recently went by Irsquove been part of projects by Pritam darsquos Jam 8 And then therersquos the film Music School by maestro Ilayaraja It is a true musical where the songs take the story ahead Itrsquos fascinating to be part of it It may release in June or July next yearAlso Read Single is king