CALL IT POP MUSIC, NOT INDEPENDENT MUSIC: ARJUN

Singer Arjun Kanungo says that while doing Bollywood music still has its lure, artists can deliver hits on their own, too

Popular music in India has long meant mostly songs from Hindi films. Artists have been cutting their albums, but it’s Bollywood that dominated the landscape and made money for music producers. However, now that non-film music is also making its way into the charts — the singles tend to be particularly successful — Arjun Kanungo argues that non-film music should be called “pop music” and not “independent music”.

The singer-songwriter says, “I don’t need Bollywood to sustain myself as a musician anymore. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that Bollywood isn’t good or anything like that. But, ‘independent music’ no longer needs to depend on Bollywood or films to promote itself. It’s turning into a moneymaking business, and people should now start calling it pop, that’s popular music, instead of calling it independent music.”

Arjun adds, “There was a pop industry, which was so successful about 20 years back, but then for whatever reasons, film music took over. And for a long period, people only preferred listening to film music. But now, I think, ever since I’ve started [as a singer], things have changed, and people love listening to [nonfilm music] again, and that’s why you see musicians making money now; that’s why, musicians can now sustain themselves without having contributed to Bollywood.”

Arjun recently released the single, Aaya Na Tu, with Pakistani singer Momina Mustehasn. He wants to create different kinds of songs, and not get stuck in a rut. He says, “I keep asking myself this question: ‘Why am I in this business?’ That’s how I come to the conclusion every time that I have to do something different from what I’ve already done.”

There was a pop music industry, which was so successful about 20 years back, but then film music took over. But now, people love listening to nonfilm music again.

ARJUN KANUNGO SINGERSONGWRITER

Arjun Kanungo has a recent single, Aaya Na Tu, with Pakistani singer Momina Mustehasn