In the first episode of Baatein Dil Se, hosted by Times Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar, Satinder Sartaaj shared a lot about his life. He revealed that a full version of Jaiye Sajana is already recorded, praised Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar.
Punjabi Sufi singerSatinder Sartaaj is having a huge moment in the music scene, with his song Jaiye Sajana from Dhurandhar: The Revenge becoming a nationwide sensation. In the debut episode of Baatein Dil Se, hosted by Times Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar, the artist talked candidly about his creative process, personal philosophy and experiences in the industry. From revealing that a full version of his hit track is already in the works to sharing sweet anecdotes about his journey, Sartaaj’s candid conversation was deep and honest. Here are the top five highlights from the exclusive interaction.
1. Full Version Of ‘Jaiye Sajana’ Already Recorded
One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation was Sartaaj’s revelation that his own extended version of Jaiye Sajana is already complete. He shared how the idea originated during his very first conversation with composer Shashwat Sachdev. “Yes, about this, that same day, as the conversation kept going, he told me that this is a song sung by Jasmine and it has this line. He then said if I had known you were such a warrior type of person, I would have had you create the entire song. I said, no problem,” Sartaaj said.
What followed was pure spontaneity. “That same day, since I had time while going to Ludhiana, I started the song and wrote seven verses. I’ve even sung them now, I perform them on stage in Ahmedabad. People have generally heard it by now.” He further confirmed that the track is ready for release. “Our team got a call from T-Series, even from Bhushan sir, asking that you please dub all the vocals and we want to release this. So I have already dubbed it.”
2. Shabana Azmi’s Compliment That Stayed With Him
Sartaaj also opened up about working with Shabana Azmi and recalled a moment that left a lasting impression on him. Talking about his film The Black Prince, in which he portrayed the role of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the singer recalled, “Our first scene was inside a castle. We were sitting on a table for a dinner scene. Her character had come to Britain from India for the first time. She spoke Punjabi, I spoke English in the film,” he shared.
The most memorable moment came when Azmi made a request to the cameraman. “Shabana ji called the cameraman and told him that during her POV, he must take the close-up of my eyes. That was the most beautiful and profound compliment for me in my entire career.” Even today, Sartaaj says he expresses gratitude to her whenever they meet.
3. Satinder Sartaaj on Dhurandhar, Ranveer Singh, Aditya Dhar
Speaking about Ranveer Singh, Sartaaj had nothing but admiration for the actor’s dedication and discipline.
“He has become so solid and so honest about his work. He was like that before as well,” he said. He went on to reflect on the emotional and physical toll of acting. “If he’s shooting in Bombay or anywhere, then when he returns to his hotel or home at night, how empty he must feel, how full he must feel, how drained he must be. So this is very difficult work.”
Despite not having met Aditya Dhar personally, Sartaaj expressed deep admiration for his work on Dhurandhar 2. “I haven’t met him, but from whatever I’ve seen of him, he seems very innocent and of a very delicate, gentle nature,” he said. He also reflected on the contrast between Dhar’s personality and the intensity of his filmmaking. “I would definitely like to ask him how he imagined so much intensity, so much struggle, so much bloodshed. Because if it’s not in your nature, it’s a very difficult thing to express that in a film.”
4. His Connection With Yami Gautam’s Family
In a deeply personal moment, Sartaaj spoke about how his early career was influenced by Yami Gautam’s father, Mukesh Gautam. “My very first television appearance happened because of Yami’s father, Mukesh Gautam sir… so I share a very affectionate connection with him,” he said.
He went on to recount his first on-screen performance during his university days, when he was invited to sing Sufi poetry based on Waris Shah’s Heer. From designing his own costume to performing as a live narrator, the experience was very important in his journey. Sartaaj also shared how this connection came full circle years later when he received a sweet message from Aditya Dhar after recording Jaiye Sajana. “He sent me such a warm and affectionate voice message and he also appreciated how I remembered everything so vividly,” he added.
5. Satinder Sartaaj chooses Shayari Over Music
One of the most thought-provoking moments came when Sartaaj spoke about his clear-cut priority. “If I had to choose one thing in life: either mausiki (music) or shayari. I will choose shayari,” he said. Explaining his perspective, he added, “For me, language is the greatest treasure. It is far more powerful than music. Language is something through which we can communicate at this very moment.”
