Mumbai, Jul 22 (IANS): Music composer-filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, who has been conferred the National Award for Best Music Direction in the Non-Feature Film category for his song 'Marenge Toh Vahin Jaa Kar' in Vinod Kapri's documentary film '1232 KMs', revealed that the song was a poem penned by the celebrated lyricist and Vishal's veteran collaborator, Gulzar.

Reacting to his big win, the 'Haider' director said in a statement: "I'm so happy to get an award for the film which represents and acknowledges the pain that the whole country, and especially the migrant workers, went through in the Covid-19 pandemic."

Opening up about the song's journey, the music director said: "[It] was actually a poem that Gulzar Saab wrote to express the suffocated feelings of not being able to do anything to help the migrants. It was a catharsis for both of us which we expressed through Sukhwinder's voice in Vinod Kapri's heart-wrenching documentary '1232 KMs'."