Intehaa — meaning limitless — marks a new chapter in Yawar Abdal’s evolving musical universe. Rooted in longing, surrender, poetry, and the unmistakable soul of Kashmir, this song blends Sufi philosophy, Allama Iqbal’s thought, and raw emotional truth.
From divine yearning to mountain serenity, from rebellion to mysticism, Yawar’s reflections reveal that Intehaa is not just a song — it’s an inward journey. A journey where love becomes prayer, passion becomes philosophy, and music becomes a reason for existence.
Pooja Kashyap: “Intehaa” translates to limitless or infinite. If love has no end, then where does Yawar Abdal’s musical journey begin?
Yawar Abdal: My music begins with a desire — a deep yearning. It’s that longing for something beyond words, something language alone can’t express. That sense of incompletion, that inner journey, that profound yearning — it all finds meaning only through poetry and music. Yes, I believe it’s that longing for something deeper that drives me to create and express myself through art.
Pooja Kashyap: Your music often feels like a prayer disguised as a song — was “Intehaa” born out of devotion, heartbreak, or divine inspiration?
Yawar Abdal: I believe love is the language of nature and of God. Any form of love, when experienced with true depth and sincerity, transforms into spiritual love. For me, Intehaa by Allama Iqbal is an expression of that divine love. It emerges naturally from a place of longing — a search for something deeper and more meaningful, where the soul is moved by the divine itself.
Pooja Kashyap: You’ve woven Sufi philosophy and Allama Iqbal’s thought into this song. If Iqbal were alive today, what line from “Intehaa” do you think he’d applaud?
Yawar Abdal: Allama Iqbal was a phenomenal poet and philosopher. It’s truly an honour for me that I’ve had the opportunity to connect with his work and perform one of his beautiful poems. I can never be certain if I’ve done complete justice to it, but I’ve tried to express it with honesty and depth. The line that stays with me is:
“Bhari bazm mein raaz ki baat keh di, bada be-adab hoon, saza chahta hoon.”
Pooja Kashyap: Your voice carries that unmistakable Kashmiri soul. How do you balance the serenity of the mountains with the fire of Sufi passion in your music?
Yawar Abdal: Kashmir is known as Reshiwaer or Peerwaer — the Valley of Saints — and its mysticism reflects in everything. Staying connected to my roots naturally finds its way into my art. I feel that the burning passion, the Soz-e-Dil, is often calmed by the cold mountain breeze. Music is an escape; it helps me release and express that fire within — to let it flow, give it form, and find peace through it.
Pooja Kashyap: “Intehaa” feels like a journey inward. What did you discover about yourself while creating this song?
Yawar Abdal: I believe it’s foolish to love with expectations or with the intent of gaining something in return. You just have to be madly in love, completely surrendered to it. Love is love; it knows no discrimination — not physical, not material, not even spiritual. As Rumi says:
“Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious.”
Pooja Kashyap: Between “Tamanna,” “Dilshad,” and now “Intehaa,” your music has moved from longing to joy to transcendence. What’s the next emotion Yawar Abdal plans to conquer?
Yawar Abdal: I think I’ve discovered this vast ocean of love. I’ve touched its surface, dived in, swum a little — and now I’m training myself to explore its depths. There’s no turning back; it’s about going deeper and deeper. I feel I’m already drowning and surrendering to it. After all, how long can you hold your breath? So drown, explore — and be fortunate enough for the ocean to accept you.
Professionally, I’ll be completing my EP soon, followed by a few singles and music videos next year, hopefully.
Pooja Kashyap: If “Intehaa” were not a song but a person, how would you describe them — a mystic, a lover, or a rebel?
Yawar Abdal: One has to be a Majnu — a rebel at heart. Only a rebel dares to question existence in the search for the true meaning of love. And when you love with that intensity and madness, it eventually leads you to become a mystic.
Pooja Kashyap: You blend Persian, Urdu, and Kashmiri influences so seamlessly. If you had to define your genre in one poetic phrase, what would it be?
Yawar Abdal:
“Darr chum zabaan ma dazem garr wanai
Dar-dil thayoum soor goum kya wanai
Kya wanai kya wanai, Soz-e-dil bhe kyah wanai”
I fear my tongue may burn if I confess,
I hid it in my heart, but it burned me to ashes.
What can be spoken, what can remain?
Even my burning heart is silent in pain.
Pooja Kashyap: Sufi music often dances between madness and meditation. When you’re composing, which side wins — the poet or the philosopher?
Yawar Abdal: Always the philosopher. I’ve sought to understand life through every lens — divine and intellectual. The more you look, the more everything connects: science with spirit, logic with emotion, intellect with intuition, sound with silence. At the heart of it all, you find the same essence: oneness, truth, love. When you dive deep enough into anything, you reach its atomic truth — the same mystery the mystics speak of.
Pooja Kashyap: The song explores a love beyond the physical or even spiritual. Do you think today’s generation is ready to understand that kind of love?
Yawar Abdal: As an artist, I see it as a responsibility to educate and awaken people through this rich literature — literature that can guide them toward their true reason for existence. I’m sure there are people today who are waiting for such art, something that speaks to their soul. This literature feels like home — or perhaps a guide leading us back home. And eventually, when you grow weary of the world’s noise, you find yourself searching for the way back.
Fun Segment: “Yawar in a Minute”
Pooja Kashyap: If love had a sound — what instrument would it be?
Yawar Abdal: The violin.
Pooja Kashyap: One line from your own song you’d whisper to someone special?
Yawar Abdal: “Shad Chumai, Dilshad Chumai” — Joyous it is, my heart, joyous it is!
Pooja Kashyap: Coffee with Rumi or a jam session with Nusrat — what’s your pick?
Yawar Abdal: Tough one! But I’ll go for coffee with Rumi.
Pooja Kashyap: If Kashmir had a soundtrack, which of your songs would be its anthem?
Yawar Abdal: Aaftab.
Pooja Kashyap: Complete the sentence: “Music for me is not escape, it’s ______.”
Yawar Abdal: It’s a reason for existence.
