Music and university study
Singer and poet Satinder Sartaaj studied at Panjab University in Chandigarh. A 2011 Indian Express profile reports that he completed a doctorate in Sufi music in 2007, studied Persian and taught in the university’s music department until 2009. Sartaaj remembered spending long hours in the university library reading Punjabi poetry and works about Sufism. He described his attachment to the campus as he prepared to return for a performance. The account places study, reading and teaching alongside the public career for which he became known, while presenting the memories of a former student at a particular moment in his life.[1]
Poetry and the stage
In a 2020 interview with The Tribune, Sartaaj described himself primarily as a poet and singer and said that the stage was where his strongest passion lay. The interview identified The Black Prince, in which he portrayed Maharaja Duleep Singh, as his acting debut. He explained that the film had taken him away from stage work for a period and that he subsequently returned his attention to music. He also discussed his experience performing at the Sydney Opera House and his connection to the Royal Albert Hall. His reflections show how he understood the relationship between performing, writing and acting.[2]
A poet on screen
Speaking to The Indian Express in 2024, Sartaaj discussed playing a poet in the film Shayar and described poetry as central to both his professional and personal interests. The report also identifies his earlier role in Kali Jotta alongside Neeru Bajwa. Sartaaj spoke about composing poetry for the period film and the influence of Urdu on the language he chose. Those comments explain the performer’s intentions and his account of the setting; they should not be read as a rule about the scripts or vocabulary used by every Punjabi poet. His film work draws another connection between written verse, song and performance.[3]
Sources & notes
Source records include access dates and, where known, limits on what was examined. Checks used AI assistance; independent human or specialist review has not been completed.
- Ritu Sharma; Satinder Sartaaj. Filled with nostalgia, room number 1/43’s famous son returns ↗Interview · Source date: 2011-10-21 · Locator: University study, teaching and library reading. Accessed 2026-11-03.Written source inspected; recordings and films not reviewed.Return to Music and university study, paragraph 1 ↑
- Mona; Satinder Sartaaj. Diary of a Sufi ↗Interview · Source date: 2020-03-06 · Locator: Poetry, stage performance and The Black Prince. Accessed 2026-11-03.Written source inspected; recordings and films not reviewed.Return to Poetry and the stage, paragraph 1 ↑
- Sukhpreet Kahlon; Satinder Sartaaj. Satinder Sartaaj on Shayar and Neeru Bajwa ↗Interview · Source date: 2024-04-18 · Locator: Acting, poetry and film roles. Accessed 2026-11-03.Written source inspected; recordings and films not reviewed.Return to A poet on screen, paragraph 1 ↑
Record PH-PEO-0164 · English edition · human review not performed