3 min readChennaiApr 6, 2026 11:25 AM IST
At the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 in Mumbai on Sunday evening, Faheem Abdullah won the award for Best Playback Singer (Male) for crooning the title track of Saiyaara. Though Faheem couldn’t attend the ceremony to collect his award, Saiyaara’s director Mohit Suri accepted it on his behalf and also shared Faheem’s journey, revealing how his life changed after the film’s success.
Speaking at the awards night, Mohit explained how Faheem didn’t give up on appearing for exams even when he wanted to become a singer, as he wasn’t sure of attaining success in the highly competitive space. The director said, “When I met Faheem, he kept giving exams again and again. I kept asking him, ‘What are you giving these exams for?’ He told me, ‘I don’t know what is going to happen with my career and I don’t know if I’m going to be successful.’ Him and Arslan Nizami were working on Atul Setu before this film happened. Now winning this award validates the fact that you don’t need to get that job. You are going to be successful in this world.”
For the unversed, Arslan Nizami, who is the co-composer of Saiyaara’s title track, is a civil engineer who left his job to pursue his passion for music. Faheem Abdullah is a multidisciplinary artiste from Srinagar, Kashmir. While Arslan composed the title track along with Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem gave his voice to the hit track.
Faheem defeated several well-known singers in the category. Other nominees included Hanumankind, Sudhir Yaduvanshi, Shashwat Sachdev, and Mohd. Sadiq for the Dhurandhar title track. Arijit Singh, Shashwat Sachdev, and Armaan Khan were nominated for Dhurandhar’s track “Gehra Hua.” Arijit Singh was also nominated for Saiyaara’s “Dhun,” and Jubin Nautiyal for Saiyaara’s “Barbaad.”
About Screen Awards
Instituted by The Indian Express Group, the Chetak Screen Awards are regarded among the country’s most credible film honours. For the 2026 edition, nominations and winners were decided by the Screen Academy, an independent, not-for-profit body comprising 53 filmmakers, artistes, and cultural practitioners, underscoring the transparency and credibility of the selection process.
The ceremony was hosted by Alia Bhatt, along with stand-up comedian Zakir Khan, actor Sunil Grover, and journalist Saurabh Dwivedi (Editor – Hindi, The Indian Express).
