‘I ENJOY A QUIET LIFE’
It hasn’t taken long for Arijit Singh (above) to carve a niche for himself in the music industry. The singer, who prefers living a low-key life, has created a stir with his songs, which include hits such as ‘Tum hi ho’ (Aashiqui 2; 2013), ‘Muskurane’ (CityLights; 2014) and the title track of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), among others. Although he’s got an impressive track record, Arijit believes in taking life one step at a time. The singer, who will be performing at an upcoming festival, speaks with HT Café about success and his peers.
Why do you refrain from interacting with the media?
I enjoy leading a quiet life. I don’t like to be interrupted. In the past two to three years, my fan base has grown gradually. They [my fans] have also taken a considerable amount of time to understand [that I like to lead a quiet life]. The more interviews I give, the more my fans are able to understand this fact.
You have had the maximum chartbusters in recent times. How has success changed your personal and professional life?
The professional life [of artistes] never changes as such. You get what you deserve. I have been working throughout. I have done it the hard way, but I’m satisfied. The recognition that I am receiving is because of my hard work. I am happy about that. However, I can’t say that it [my career] hasn’t changed my personal life because it has. I have always liked to live my life in a quiet and peaceful manner. I used to lead my life that way. But the rise of social media has certainly affected me. Now I am always noticed. People try to reach out to me and that is a different feeling. But mostly, the change has been positive. All my fans have been supportive, which is very helpful for a singer. When you attain success, you need to deal with a lot of things.
You have mainly sung romantic tracks. What other genres of music would you like to explore?
The phenomenon in Bollywood is different. I don’t have a control over it. It all depends on a film’s director and music composer. I would like to mention that one of my recently released songs was of a different [non-romantic] genre. It was something different for me. Aditya Chopra (film-maker) and Vishal-Shekhar (composer duo) chose me to experiment with a different kind of song. So I tried it out, and thankfully it worked. They (the audiences) enjoyed the song, and that’s great.
Which Bollywood actor do you dream to sing for?
I don’t dream of singing for any particular actor. I have always wanted to become a musician and a singer. Opportunities are coming my way, and I am happy about that.
Whose singing do you admire from your contemporaries?
From the new lot of singers, I really like Papon, Shalmali (Kholgade) and Chinmayi (Sripaada), among many others. I appreciate all of them.
Is there anything you would like to explore apart from singing ?
I don’t know (laughs). I am studying and researching. I have dreams of course. Singing obviously is a huge as well as the most important part of my life. I have also developed an interest in other subjects. I will continue to study and do my research. I need to figure what I want to do.
You are soon going to perform at your next concert. Tell us about your gig.
At the moment, I don’t wish to reveal much about my performance at Enchanted Valley Carnival. I am actually in the middle of planning my performance. The organisers and managers approve [of my act]. The technical team and my band members want to provide a fresh tune to the act. We have been trying to crack something new.
Have you ever received any acting offers? Would you be interested in taking them up?
No.
People try to reach out to me and that is a different feeling. But mostly, the change has been positive... ARIJIT SINGH, SINGER