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In the ever-evolving world of music many songs come and go. While some fade away quickly other becomes timeless and remain at the top of the playlist for years. One such song is Breathless sung by Shankar Mahadevan which continues to be regarded as one of the most remarkable independent Indian songs ever created. However before achieving cult status the song faced it shares of battles. Veteran poet lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar recently revealed the difficult journey behind the creation of Breathless. He shared how neither composers nor music companies initially believed in the idea. A Vision No One Believed In Javed Akhtar shared that although he conceptualised the song early on there was no one to back the song for many years. Even some of the most respected classical singers and composers hesitated to associate with the ambitious project. “Even the biggest classical singers and composers said we cannot make a song like this. When they said they could not mould this into a song I would ask for the tunes and say I would do the rest. Everyone would just give me a smile calling it an interesting idea but no one dared to get on board” recalled Javed. Seven Years Of Waiting The veteran writer further revealed that he was persistent in making the song happen even though he prefers not to name those who rejected it because it is “embarrassing. “And when I say seven I mean seven not five not six” It was only after this long wait that he met Shankar Mahadevan and the fate of the song completely turned around. What If He Had Never Met Shankar? Looking back Akhtar acknowledged how crucial that meeting turned out to be. “This was my luck. What if I had not met Shankar? I would still be sitting with ‘Breathless’ unmade. I would have accepted that it was a bad idea because if everyone is rejecting something there has to be some problem with it” he confessed. He further added “The details about this row are very embarrassing. They would ask me who will sing it? No one can sing it. How will the song get popular?” Music Labels Had Little Faith Even after Shankar Mahadevan recorded the song and shot a music video the challenges didn’t end. The team continued to face resistance from the music company responsible for releasing it. “The marketing department was not ready to release the song or the video. They did not have faith in the song. There was an argument over it” recalled Shankar. He further revealed “What has been happening for quite some time is that the marketing department gives a list of requirements and these are a bunch of people who do not understand anything about music. If they did they would not be in marketing; they would be making music” he said. He added “What the marketing department believes in is one thing: nothing should be done for the first time. The second time no harm.” A Song That Defied Doubt Once released Breathless went on to become one of the most popular Indian independent tracks of all time and even today it resonates with the new generation proving that belief in one’s vision can outshine challenges