*"Ghai and Sukhwinder have worked together in Yuvraj that's scheduled to be released end- November. Sukhwinder has sung two numbers in the movie"* Which ones is he referring to here - Didn't these songs make it to the final list ?
-A On Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 5:50 PM, Gopal Srinivasan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > 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 > > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081123/jsp/graphiti/story_10143603.jsp > > -- -A http://viewsnmuse.blogspot.com
