Sudhanshu ki ‘adaa’
Sudanshu Pandey speaks to SATISH SUNDARESAN about his comeback solo single, Teri Adaa, and his plans ahead
Even though these days are ruled by the GenNext and the social media, those in the know will surely swear by the golden era of Indie pop, which was the buzz word a few years ago. It was around this time, when the music scene underwent a radical change of sorts with the advent of India’s first all-boys band, A Band Of Boys. Within no time, they were hailed as India’s answer to the likes of Backstreet Boys and Boyzone. One of the extremely talented band members happened to be Sudanshu Pandey, who went onto become an overnight sensation. Besides singing, he also won everyone’s hearts with his acting prowess as well. Recently, the multi-talented Sudanshu Pandey re-entered the music scene with a bang with his solo single Teri Adaa, a very heartfelt love song. Excerpts from the interview:
How did your journey in showbiz start?
My journey in showbiz started in 1994 after I read an ad in a Bombay-magazine calling for models. Within a month after submitting my photographs to the agency, I got a call from them for my first ad campaign for Bhailwara Suitings, who had signed a contract with me for a couple of years. It was a dream-start for me in showbiz. Post that, I went on to win the Best Male Model Award in the year 1995.
What prompted you to get into singing?
As far as I remember, I had been singing even when I was a child. I have been singing to entertain everybody around me and to entertain myself, which gives me immense satisfaction.
Looking back, you were the toast of the town with India's first all-boy band, A Band of Boys. How was it formed?
A Band of Boys was surely one of the highlights of my career. I gave a very informal audition in front of Hariharan and Leslie Lewis, who were Colonial Cousins at that time. During my audition, I sang Sukhwinder’s song. In no time, the judges selected me. Besides me, there were other members. We trained for 17 months before we were launched!
It is true, that besides acting in the music video of Teri
Adaa, you have also produced it and co-written the lyrics as well?
Yes, it is true. It’s a matter of pride for me to have finally produced something under my home banner, Rawstalk Productions. I am very happy that I could put it all together and the results are extremely satisfying. And this is only the beginning; I intend to produce films very soon. And yes, I have co-written the lyrics of Teri Adaa along with Ravi Singhal.
Teri Adaa has been hailed as one of the most ‘stylish’ music videos. Tell us more about it...
Teri Adaa has been shot as a very stylish video. The idea behind styling the video was that, when I am coming back with a video and a song after so many years, it had to be something that should catch the eye of the people. It had to be different from what people get to see these days conceptually. If you see the way I have dressed up in the video, you will understand what I mean by a ‘stylised video’.
Is it a general musical video or has it been woven with a theme?
The music video of Teri Adaa is not what you would get to see on a day-to-day basis. It’s not your regular video. It’s an extremely different kind of video, because of the way we have shot it. The angles, the locations and even the shots have been styled very differently.
The choreography that we have done with the camera keeping the music in mind only adds to the excitement of making the video.
You are in talks with directors of films, television and web series. What’s happening on that front?
Yes indeed! I am in talks with a few directors to do web series, a couple of films and even television. I am open to doing good work. With the digital market opening up in such a big way, there is so much content and so much good stuff happening. Almost every second day, there is a new director and a new actor making his or her mark. I would definitely want to do anything that is good and challenging.
You call yourself a ‘part-time poet’? What makes you say that?
That’s because my elder brother, Piyush Pandey, is a full time poet (smiles). He has released two books and the third book is up for release. I, on the other hand, write very light-hearted poems. The meaning of these poems could be profound or be very simple. With my kind of poetry, I try to touch the heart of people. Since my poetry is not as great as that of my brother, that’s why I call myself a ‘part-time poet’.