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songs of my career. As a singer, I used to enjoy the challenging
compositions of the past. I admit the young
What is your assessment of yourself as a music directors of today are a little scared
singer? of me. But I’ve never ever misbehaved with
There have been better singers than me any composer or told him that his tune is
like K L Saigal Saab and Noor Jehanji no good or that I’ll sing it in my own way.
and there will be better singers than me
in future. I always say whatever skills Why have you been called an aloof,
I’ve imbibed are God’s gift. I’ll also admit arrogant and ruthless professional? How
that it’s never been an insurmountable and why did this image come about?
challenge for me to sing anything. Every Do you want to know why people are
artiste has a talent. What the artiste does nervous of me? There’s a saying that if
with that talent is up to them. someone burns his mouth while drinking
milk, he even tries to cool down chhaas
Your improvisations in the songs, the before drinking it. In the past, I loved to
harkat as it was called, often took songs laugh and make people laugh. I used to
to another level, for example the ‘Oye oye bring chocolates to the recordings and share
oye’ in the Bichua number in Madhumati? them with everyone. People exploited my
No that wasn’t mine. That was the friendly nature. They maligned my name.
composer, Salilda’s idea. But yes, I did put Once, a well-known recordist kept me back
in my own harkat once in a while. Once to record a small interlude in a song till late
Rafi Saab and I were recording a duet for at night. Only his assistant, my sister and
Shankar-Jaikishan. During rehearsals I I were at the studio, the others had left. He
decided to improvise at one point in the kept making me sing the small interlude
song. But I didn’t reveal my harkat during repeatedly. After a couple of days, I heard
rehearsals. I kept it to myself and I sang it that he was telling people, “See how I drove
only during the final take. Lata crazy? The song was good enough as it
You did not????!!!! was recorded initially.”
(laughs) Yes, I did. When the final take When I heard this, I wept. Then there was
happened everyone was thrilled by my a classical musician who maligned me to
improvisation. But Rafi Saab was very his heart’s content. I treated some music
upset. All this was in good spirit. No harm directors, lyricists, producers and directors
meant. like my brothers. But they all maligned me.
So, I decided to stop attending functions,
You’ve been working with three I stopped talking excessively which was a
generations of music composers. Isn’t habit with me. I would say things in jest.
there a generation gap between you and But my words would be misinterpreted
composers like AR Rahman, Vishal and distorted. Who needs this? I thought.
Bharadwaj, Anu Malik and Jatin-Lalit? That’s why I prefer staying at home with
(Firmly) Nahin. In my opinion, a singer my family. Now if I’m called arrogant and
should never be conscious of such things. unsociable I don’t care. If I worry about
Irrespective of the generations they belong what people have to say, then it wouldn’t be
to, all music composers try to do their best. possible to continue living.
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #32 | FEBRUARY 2022 13
