“Makani hoon, ke azaad-e-makaan hoon  (Am I bounded by space, or am I boundless)

 Jahaan mein hoon, ya khud saara jahaan hoon (Am I a part of the Universe or am I the Universe)

Woh apni la-makani mein rahein mast (Let him (God) remain ecstatic in his infinitude)

Mujhe itna bata de main kahaan hoon” (Just do me the favour of telling me where I am)”

  - Baal-e-Jibreel by Allama Iqbal                                                                                                                                                                

When I first heard Khanvict’s latest EP, Escape, all that echoed inside my head was this Rubai by poet Allama Iqbal. ‍

Escape dropped on Friday, June 11, and features the sounds of nature combined with extraordinarily beautiful Sitar tunes by Sharanjeet Mand. 

The longing to escape is a theme every human can relate to, whether it’s escape from the ordinary, escape from the crowd, escape from one’s past form of being, or simply an escape from melancholia. And that theme, irrespective of how one relates to it, is beautifully captured by the EP that promises to pull one out of their current state of being and transport them to an escape they most desire. Almost transcendental in nature,  Escape isn’t just about the destination or end goal, it is also about relishing the journey. 

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Khanvict said that for him “it was an escape from the old to the new,” as he entered this decade solely committing to the one thing he loves most: music. 

His earlier single Closer was accompanied by a short film, directed by Anjali Nayar and featuring Seema Hari. Closer was a commentary on issues of colourism and casteism that prevails in South Asian society and has plagued it for ages. The short film crossed 1 million views on YouTube, and it’s hard-hitting visuals coupled with the music which contained Punjabi bolis, is also in a way a portrayal of the want to escape. 

The want to escape from a world of brutality, destruction and discrimination to a world of peace and love. The innate desire is to step into something new, something better, something more compassionate. ‍

Escape will not only take you out on a beautiful journey, but will do so by soothing your soul and providing you with peace and hope. 

Iqbal believed that if you are stuck, questioning every aspect of your existence in context to the Universe, only the almighty God can help you figure where you stand. But music, being the sound of the divine, serves the same purpose. 

So like Iqbal and I, if you too are stuck, contemplating where you currently are and where you want to go, give Escape a listen. It won’t give you an answer in words, but you will feel the answer in your entire being. If you already know where you want to escape, even then lend your ears to it. It’ll make your journey one truly worth remembering.

Listen to Escape here.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Roshni is a self-proclaimed Comedy Queen who specializes in laughing at her own jokes. Her hobbies include making people smile, watching movies and analysing them, reading books, practicing yoga (occasionally), hogging on well-cooked biryani and scrolling through dog videos and memes on Instagram. Her love for writing stems from her love for art in general, which is fuelled by her background in theatre. Catch on her instagram at @roshni_rakshit daily, where she regularly shares her experience with movies and occasionally offends people with her political sense of humour.