Bollywood hitman
ACE SINGER SUKHWINDER SINGH IS BELTING OUT A NON-STOP STRING OF HITS AND IS
EVEN TRYING HIS HAND AT ACTING, SAYS NANDINI GUHA
Sukhwinder Singh has the nation dancing to his tunes
Sukhwinder Singh has the nation dancing to his tunes
It’s
a tough call for ace singer Sukhwinder Singh. He may have India dancing
to his tunes but it’s not easy to order a dish of boiled vegetables at
a restaurant famed for its meaty and authentic Frontier cuisine. But
the singer who’s a fussy eater and a fitness freak isn’t about to give
up easily.
In
between the veggy hunt, Singh can’t stop talking about his new projects
in Mumbai and Hollywood and also his famous friends and mentors, A.R.
Rahman and Shah Rukh Khan. Today Sukhwinder is one of Bollywood’s
busiest singers and he has delivered back-to-back hits in recent years.
He’s flooded with offers and has a busy few months ahead.
Both
Khan and Rahman figure in Sukhwinder’s upcoming projects and his world
of melody. King Khan and Sukhwinder (the two have come a long way since Chaiyya
Chaiyya in 1998 to Chak De in 2007) are once
again working together in a film — only this time Sukhwinder will be
acting in the movie and not just playback singing.
The
budding actor refuses to reveal the movie’s title and director, but he
promises that it’s a big project being produced by a well-known banner.
“Nobody will question this move once they see me on screen as an
actor,” he says, brimming with the same energy that’s always visible —
and audible — when he’s singing.
Sukhwinder’s
songs (from top) in Chak De and Tashan were chartbusters; A moment from
the singer’s Huale haule track from the upcoming Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
It was Rahman who pushed Sukhwinder into the big time by virtually gifting him
the magical Chaiyya Chaiyya number in Dil Se (1998). Few know this but before
the singer met Rahman he had dabbled in Hindi playback and had even cut a
Punjabibhangra album, Munda Southall Da. However, his music hadn’t been
noticed.
Now
a collaboration with Rahman is already underway and the new music album
will be ready for release by next March. “In this one I have explored
Sufi music to the fullest — and I promise my fans that we will deliver
world class music,” says Singh.
Also coming up in early December is the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, Aditya
Chopra-directed Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
“I think the songs are going to be a huge hit, like all Shah
Rukh-Sukhwinder joint ventures. As for Shah Rukh, I knew from the time
that Rahman first introduced me to him that we would be a hit jodi,’’ he says.
Sukhwinder
has been working overtime in recent months. Another film that’s waiting
in the wings for a release is Mani Ratnam’s Ravana. “It’s an
interesting project since I am singing for a man who is evil but has a
smiling face in this film. That calls for diplomacy,” he says,
laughing. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
and will be released in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.
Ratnam and Sukhwinder go back a long way to the Dil Se days when they hit the
jackpot with Chaiyya Chaiyya, a song that was voted by BBC as one of the most
popular songs of all time.
Sukhwinder turns nostalgic when he thinks back to the period. “I had been
hearing Thaiya Thaiya (which actually was the inspiration for Chaiyya Chaiyya)
in dargahs even before I met Rahman. Thaiya Thaiya was written by Sufi saint,
Pir Baba Bulleh Shah, expressing his love for God.”
“When I finally met Rahman and sang Thaiya Thaiya,
he took me to the prayer room atop his house and asked me to rest for a
while. I slept. After six hours, the orchestra was arranged and we were
ready to record the song. At that point I didn’t even know that the
song was going to be picturised on Shah Rukh for Dil Se,’’ he
says. The singer believes the song was a hit because it was an
expression of love and pain — which is the very essence of Sufism.
Sukhwinder
with director Subhash Ghai; (Below) At A.R. Rahman’s Unity of Light
Concert in Calcutta a few years ago
Other music directors, too, are all praise for Sukhwinder. Vishal Dadlani, who
worked with Sukhwinder on Omkara and Tashan, says: “His knowledge of music and
range of expression is fascinating. He can combine the madness of Chaiyya
Chaiyya with the restraint of Chak De. We did Dil Haara and Omkara with him and
nobody else could have sung those numbers like him.”
Though
Sukhwinder has sung more than 100 playback songs for directors
including Subhas Ghai and Mani Ratnam, he finds Deepa Mehta the
strictest of them all. “She’s the hardest taskmaster amongst them all.
I realised that when I shot for Water.”
But,
as he digs into his platter of boiled vegetables, he throws in a gentle
aside: “But unlike Ratnam Sir, not everybody has an ear for music.”
Most Bollywood directors are full of praise for Sukhwinder. Ghai and Sukhwinder
have worked together in Yuvraj that’s scheduled to be released end- November.
Sukhwinder has sung two
numbers in the movie. “We are good partners in business and great
friends. Sukhwinder’s songs have done wonders for my films,” says Ghai.
It
could well be said that Sukhwinder was born to Bollywood with a
veritable silver spoon in his mouth. Music director Pyarelal recalls
how he along with his music partner, Laxmikant “brought up” Sukhwinder
in Mumbai.
In
fact, when Sukhwinder moved to Mumbai, he lived with Laxmikant and
arranged music for the Laxmikant Pyarelal combine. “One result of his
early initiation into the industry was that he made his debut in 1991
with our song, Aa ja Sanam, for a Madhuri Dixit starrer,Khilaaf. Sadly, the
song went unnoticed. He worked with us for a while and then moved to Europe and
the US,” recalls Pyarelal.
Dil Se gave Sukhwinder the
unforgettable chart-topper Chaiyya chaiyya
When Sukhwinder returned
to India in the late ’90s, he started working with Rahman and his
career went into vertical takeoff. Says Pyarelal: “Sukhwinder has his
own style of music. His voice quality is excellent and though his
career took off with Chaiyya Chaiyya, he has done equally well in Chak De. This
goes to prove that he’s versatile and has a great future ahead of him.”
Sukhwinder’s
also very excited about his next Hollywood venture, a film being made
by Hollywood director Sir Spike Lee. It was Lee who used Singh’s Chaiyya
Chaiyya in his 2006 Hollywood blockbuster, Inside Man. “This time, Lee has
promised that my music will be used all through the film — from the beginning
to the end,” he says.
Apart from all this, Sukhwinder has also sung recently for Danny Boyle’s
Slumdog Millionaire,
again to a tune by Rahman. Unlike some others, Sukhwinder is all praise
for the “professional” Hollywood producers and says that they allowed
their directors and actors to work without pressure. “That is not what
happens here,” he says thoughtfully.
Sukhwinder’s also one of the high- profile judges in the television show, Amul
Star Voice of India2 (on Star Plus), compered by singer Shaan. But he has harsh
words about
reality shows. “I am against reality shows per se. Most of these shows
play with the careers of young singers. I think TV censorship should be
introduced so that we can stop the exploitation of young talent. I am
part of it as I wanted to see if I could make a difference,” he says.
As a judge, Sukhwinder tries to ensure that the participating
youngsters do not quit studies and he does his best to encourage them
even if they fail to deliver.
The
boiled veggies have given away an important detail about Sukhwinder.
The fact is that he’s a health-freak and visibly winces at the machchli kebab
on his plate. “Please get me lots of ghas phus. You know, people hate steamed
or boiled food because it is tastes so dull. Add a dash of lime and amchur and
you can transform bland food easily. And yes, I know because I’m a
good cook,” he says, ordering two glasses of chilled milk.
So
what happens when Sukhwinder is travelling? “I try to avoid restaurant
food as much as possible. Whether I’m in Paris or Vancouver for a show,
I manage to get dal, roti, sabzi, chicken cooked by friends or even fans,’’ he
says.
His
daily routine too reflects his cautious lifestyle. Every morning a
45-minute session of cartoon watching is followed by drinking a glass
of cold milk and exercising for two to three hours at the gym in his
home. He works out on the treadmill and lifts weights while listening
to his own music.
Leisure
means chilling out with friends at home (often over a glass of red
wine) or dating women friends. “Flirtation is a passion and I have at
least 60 to 70 women friends but I’m not seriously involved with
anyone,” he says, dodging the issue of marriage and relationships.
For
company he has his two dogs, Jojo and Toby, who are, of course, avid
fans and hang about when he is composing or singing his chartbusters.
The chances are they’ll be listening to many more hits in the making.
Chart busters
Dil haara
Tashan
A soft number, picturised on Saif and Kareena was an expression of love
Chak De India
Chak De India
The song became an anthem, even inspiring national fervour
Dard-E-Disco
Om Shanti Om
Picturised on Shah Rukh Khan, this song combines dance and pain — the very
essence of Sufism
Omkara and Beedi jalai le
Omkara
Two chartbusters that were naughty, melodious yet robust
Chaiyya Chaiyya
Dil Se
The song was a take-off from Thaiyya Thaiyya written by a Sufi saint,
Bir Baba Bule Shah. It was A.R. Rahman and Sukhwinder’s first venture
together and a runaway hit
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