‘Don’t object to change; understand why people like it.’
IMAGE: Babul Supriyo in Khoya Khoya Chand (2024).
Singer Babul Supriyo, who gave us hit albums like Sochta Hun and Kuch Aisa Lagta Hai, recently sang the song Khoya Khoya Chand from his 90s album of the same name in Lo-Fi version.
“There are so many singing competitions, there are so many winners, they are all lost, they do lots of shows and make lots of money, but they can only be famous if they sing for Bollywood, so no one wants to do independent songs because that requires lots of money, music companies don’t support you, they say make it with your own money,” Babul Supriyo tells Patcy N/Rediff.com
Why did you choose Khoya Khoya Chand for a Lo-Fi version? What does Lo-Fi mean?
Kumar Tauraniji (managing directors, Tips Music) has been a mentor, philosopher and a dear friend. He has a lot of experience.
We were just talking, and we realised that this song lives in the hearts of people.
I won’t be able to define Lo-Fi. It means Low Fidelity.
So many great remakes have a Lo-Fi version today.
When you want to revisit a song from the past, you are basically showering extra love to it.
You pick a song from the past and introduce it in the present for the future. So many such songs have been picked and they have been hits in films.
Abhimanyu Pragya did the Lo-Fi version. I am happy with the way the video has been done.
The original video was shot on Dia Mirza. It was Farah Khan’s first directorial venture in a video.
Today, you can spend money and have your song reach 4 million views in two days.
But in this case, there is an organic increase of 3,000 to 4,000 a day. It is catching up with the youth.
This song released in the late 1990s. If a person was 14-15 in 1999, unki zindagi ke syllabus mein romance jab dheere dheere enter kar rahi hai, dil dhadakne laga rahe hai, pet mein butterflies ho raha hai, jo naye romance ka infatuation ka feeling hota hai….
Today, that person will be 39 years, and he will revisit his past.
We thought that for the Insta generation, this is a beautiful composition by Sajid-Wajid.
Sadly, Wajid is not with us any more.
It has Sameerji‘s lyrics.
IMAGE: Dia Mirza in Khoya Khoya Chand from the 1990s.
How did you get time to sing Khoya Khoya Chand given your busy political career?
Twenty four hours (in a day) is enough for whatever you want to do in life.
Don’t waste time on things you don’t want to do.
If you know how to manage your time, you will have time for everything, and everyone.
I have been a minister throughout my political career, from 2014.
I have handled urban development, housing, urban poverty alleviation…
I have handled heavy industries and public enterprises, climate change, forest environment…
Now in West Bengal with Mamatadidi, I am handling two portfolios: Information Technology and Electronics and Renewable Energy.
I am always in the moment.
I have made a new rule: When I’m having my morning tea, a guy keeps the harmonium on my bed.
So while I’m writing what my plan for the day is, that harmonium is in front of me and I do riyaz of 40-50 minutes.
Kaho Ho No Pyar was your big break. How did life change for you?
How tough is it to survive in the industry? How did you cope when you were out of work?
IMAGE: Babul Supriyo with daughter Naina. Photograph: Kind courtesy Babul Supriyo/Instagram
Earlier, slow songs had something called Jhankar beats. Then, we started remixes and now Lo-Fi mix. Where are we headed next?
Don’t object to change; understand why people like it.
So many films are not box office successes, but we watch them on OTT.
There are so many opinions on social media.
I feel in every decade, there is something new that people like.
Bollywood is walking in a healthy direction today. You see movies with the best technology.
Films are not only made for stars. On OTT, you see so many unknown actors in content-driven films and shows, and they are a huge success.
We may be behind Hollywood in technology, but we are moving at a very fast pace.
Our technicians are fantastic.
The only negative thing is that the independent music scene has tilted a bit. If you want to be a singer, you can only think of Bollywood. This is not right.
We had such a rich indie-pop space, but FM stations and music channels have killed it.
They don’t play independent songs. Earlier, there was something called Artist of the Month by MTV but there’s nothing like that today.
There are so many singing competitions, so many winners, but they are all lost.
They do shows and make money but they can only be famous if they sing for Bollywood. So no one wants to do independent songs because music companies don’t support you.
Baba Saigal’s Thanda Thanda Pani, Alishai Chinoy’s Made In India, KK’s Pal, Sonu Nigam’s Deewana, Lucky Ali’s Suno, Daler Mehendi’s albums, Sochta Hoon by me, Rabbi Shergill’s Bulla Ki Janna Main Kaun, Shaan’s Tanhaa Dil… all the first albums are famous and played even today.
But after that, when these singers made albums, they did not get that kind of publicity. They lost out to Bollywood.
Bollywood songs are shot for Rs 3 crore to Rs 4 crore (Rs 30 million to 40 million). How much money will you spend in a non-filmi song? Not more than Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh (Rs 1.5 million to Rs 2.5 million).
If we don’t play them on radios or music channels, word-of-mouth is the only publicity it gets.
Things have become harder for independent music.
You have always been compared to Kishore Kumar and Kumar Sanu. Did that put any pressure on you?
Have you been ever disappointed by your songs?
Who is the best from the new crop of singers?
