Exclusive: Sukhwinder Singh on Chandrayaan-3 - From Chake De to Chand Pe

“I wrote this song without any planning,” says the singer, who has also composed and sung the song, India is on the Moon, he shared on Instagram

Becoming the first nation to land on the South side of the moon and the fourth nation to have a lander on the Earth’s satellite is no small feat, making August 23 a red letter day for all Indians. The echoes of this triumph continue to echo and the latest artiste to contribute to this celebration is Sukhwinder Singh.With several patriotic hits such as Des Mere Des, Dil Se Niklegi (both, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, 2002), Chak De India (Chak De India, 2007), Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire, 2008), among others, the singer recently took to Instagram to share a short snippet of his song, “India is on the Moon”.

Exclusive: Sukhwinder Singh on Chandrayaan-3 - From Chake De to Chand Pe

Sukhwinder Singh performing on stage

Sharing the thought behind the name of the song, the singer tells us exclusively, “I believe the first statement that the ISRO chairman (S. Somanath) said was, ‘India is on the Moon’ and that is the title I want to give the song. The song is dedicated to Chandrayaan 3 and India.”

The 52-year-old also adds, “I wrote this song without any planning. I just put all my heart into it. I didn’t make this song for the sake of any mileage ke mane ye gaana hain, muje suniye. I made this song because this moment is very rare.”

Singh, who wasn’t in India when the mission took place, says, “I was travelling abroad for my shows when the mission took place and several people came up to me to share their excitement about it. It was a great feeling. I was very proud [of my country and its success]. So when I came back, I took two days and wrote this song. I have also composed and sung this song” The song also calls attention to the several ISRO scientists who worked on the mission.

Ask if he intends to release a longer version of it and he responds in the affirmative. “The Chandrayaan 3 mission will have a lot of positive benefits for the country. It is not just about landing on the moon but the mission has practical benefits for India and humanity, too. I plan on releasing the entire song when these benefits come to us and the nation,” says the Sura Soi (Gadar 2) singer, adding, “After I posted the song, several people reached out and said, ‘If we’ll make a film on this subject, you will be the first choice to sing the song.”