A decade of Bulleya: Papon reflects on the song that refuses to age

It has been ten years since Bulleya (Sultan), composed by Vishal and Shekhar with lyrics by Irshad Kamil, first found its way into listeners' hearts, and by all accounts, the song shows no signs of slowing down.

Singer Papon, whose voice gave the track its haunting, soulful quality, recently opened up about what the milestone means to him, and how the song has taken on a life far beyond what he imagined. "It's hard to believe that Bulleya has completed ten years," Papon said. "Some songs become a part of people's lives, and Bulleya is definitely one of those." The singer recalled how the song's presence follows him wherever he goes.

"No matter where I perform or travel, there's always someone requesting me to sing it," he said. "Fans often come up to me and tell me that it's their favourite song, and that kind of love is truly priceless." But perhaps the most striking part of Bulleya's journey, according to Papon, is its ability to reach listeners who were just children, when the song was released. A decade later, it's finding a fresh audience among new generations raised on an entirely different musical landscape.

"What amazes me even more is how strongly the younger generation connects with it," Papon said. "Even though the song is ten years old, Gen Z and today's youth continue to discover it, relate to its emotions, and make it their own." For an artist, he added, there's no greater validation than that. "That's the biggest reward any singer can ask for," Papon said. "It reminds me that honest music has no expiry date." As Bulleya enters its second decade, it appears to be doing what few songs manage: transcending the moment of its creation to become something timeless, passed from one generation of listeners to the next, one heartfelt request at a time. On the work front, Papon recently unveiled Irshaad, his first-ever ghazal album under his musical series Mehfilz With Papon. Marking a new chapter in his artistic journey, the album blends timeless poetry with contemporary musical sensibilities, introducing ghazals to a younger audience while staying rooted in their classic essence. Following the warm response to Irshaad, the singer is now gearing up to bring more soulful chapters through the Mehfilz With Papon series.