Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt

For one song in Highway (called Sooha Saha), the film’s leading lady, Alia Bhatt, has gone behind the mic to sing a stanza. This is the first time we’ve heard Alia sing and, unexpectedly, she has a lovely voice that really works with this song – it’s not just another “promotional gimmick” as these things sometimes can be. The track is a soulful lullaby, and A R Rahman and Imtiaz Ali both agreed that it would be a lot more poignant, in the context of the film, if Alia sang a certain part herself – although, it turns out that Rahman was skeptical at first!

Imtiaz Ali, Alia Bhatt, A R Rahman
Imtiaz Ali, Alia Bhatt, A R Rahman

A R Rahman says:

We have this lullaby, Sooha Saha, in Highway… Imtiaz said Alia has a great voice and I didn’t trust him. Then she learned the song and sang to me and I was pretty impressed with her natural ability too. We guided her a little bit to perfect the singing. She did it twice and then we got it almost right and now it sounds great.

In the video, you can see Rahman guiding her through the song and instructing her on how to carry her notes. She does a great job, and you can even hear her unedited voice in the short bit that’s directly recorded in the studio. From whatever I’ve heard so far, I really like this song, so – for me – this is a hattrick of sorts because I love the previous two tracks as well. (Make sure you listen to Patakha Guddi and Maahi Ve!)

Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt says:

“It was unreal… I am a bathroom singer, but to have the opportunity to sing a song composed by Rahman sir was unbelievable. This film is so close to my heart, not just for acting but for singing too now!”

The song is also sung by Zeb Bangash (of the famous Pakistani duo Zen & Haniya). Can’t wait to hear the full track!

What do you think of Sooha Saha and Alia’s voice?