Mr. Faarigh is Ankur Tewari’s reflective album about being unoccupied and the uncertainty that can come with having no immediate obligations. Its understated arrangements accompany songs about procrastination, heartbreak, professional frustration, solitude and self-worth. The album draws on songs Tewari had developed over several years, while its Mr. Faarigh alter ego extends into the album’s promotional campaign.
‘Faarigh’ in Urdu means free and unoccupied, without immediate obligation. Ankur Tewari’s ‘Mr. Faarigh’ was recorded with contributions from musicians and producers including Hashbass, Sudan, Neel Adhikari and Sonu BBX. Arrangements include fuzzy guitars, ukulele, melodica and acoustic guitar, mostly not very cluttered, while the lyrical themes revolve around various existential predicaments.
The album came together after Tewari completed Bandwaale, his long-running collaboration with Swanand Kirkire. In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Tewari described the period after the project as an uncertain one. He had spent years working towards a fixed deadline and then found himself without another major project immediately ahead.
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Tewari describes Mr. Faarigh as an alter ego, discussing it alongside childhood memories of having long stretches of time without the pressure to be productive. Something a lot of us would relate to for use. And with all things, which relate to time and work, freedom, and a sense of self-worth, it is inevitable that the spectre of procrastination lurks. Why do people postpone things and what happens during the periods when unfinished work remains in the background, is another question he explores. An all the more relevant question because several of the songs on Mr. Faarigh, as he mentions, had existed for years before he recorded them. “Yakeen” had been part of Tewari’s live repertoire for around 15 years and was written as a protest song. “Anjaana” had been in development for more than six years. Once he began working seriously on the album, its basic structure came together within about a month.
“1:15 AM (After Hours)“, which was earlier released as a single, focuses on late-night life in Mumbai, particularly around Bandra, where Tewari has spent much of his career. In an interview with The Nod Mag, he discussed venues such as Zenzi and Bonobo (where the music video was filmed alongside a friend’s home) and the people associated with the local music scene. The song is also about avoiding solitude. People sometimes seek out the noise and activity of the night because they do not want to listen to the thoughts in their heads.
How can we not have an indie album without heartbreak! “Kasam Se” narrates the effect that repeated heartbreak can have on a person’s ability to trust and hope. “Aazma Lo” developed from a period of professional frustration, anger he experienced while working on a difficult project.
That career has increasingly involved work beyond his own albums. Tewari has written and composed for films and streaming projects and has worked in music supervision, especially catalyzing the mainstreaming of the developing hip-hop scene with Gully Boy as a music supervisor. His work has also included projects such as The Archies, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, and Gehraiyaan.
The album’s promotion also extended the Mr. Faarigh character beyond the songs. Tewari launched a dedicated telephone hotline around the release. Musically reported that listeners could call the number and hear Tewari perform short pieces intended for particular situations and moods. The campaign reflected the album’s interest in the idea of being unoccupied. Calling a number to hear a song or a short performance is itself an activity without an obvious practical purpose.
If you are looking for harmonically complex music, this probably isn’t the album for you. But if you like reflective Hindi songwriting, mostly understated arrangements, and songs about uncertainty, relationships, self-doubt and the general experience of trying to figure out what you’re doing with your time, there is quite a bit here to engage with. At its core, Mr. Faarigh is an album about being allowed to be unoccupied. And, occasionally, about being okay with doing absolutely nothing in particular.
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