ITV

Tag: Shaan

  • MTV Brand Studio to create music festival for Amazon India

    MTV Brand Studio to create music festival for Amazon India

    MUMBAI: Amazon.in in association with MTV is all set to welcome the festive season with an exciting content marketing initiative.To break the clutter around the festival season, Amazon has upped the ante where customer engagement is concerned by creating a one-of-its kind musical experience in association with MTV’s creative services offering for brands – MTV Brand Studio.

    MTV Brand Studio was set up with the aim to provide brands with creative branded content and content marketing solutions to engage with their audience. With this tie up, the idea is to tap into the gaiety of the festive season by getting renowned musicians to kick it off with a music festival leading up to the launch of Amazon.in’s big-hearted sale, the Amazon Great Indian Festival – Tyohaar Bade Dilwala.

    A first of its kind, the music festival which has been conceptualized and created by the MTV Brand Studio for Amazon India, is being hailed as the biggest content marketing initiatives undertaken by a brand in India this year. For the music festival, MTV has roped in some of the biggest and the most talented musicians to create a music festival which encapsulates the excitement of the festive season and gets the customers into festive mode. The music festival stage will host the likes of Badshah, Vishal and Shekhar, Sunidhi Chauhan, Papon and Shaan will be aired across MTV, MTV Beats, Colors, Rishtey, Colors Marathi and Colors Gujarati in both SD and HD on 30 September 2016 at 11 pm thus ensuring maximum reach across age groups through the combined reach of the mass, youth and regional brands of Viacom18.

    “This year we recognize and celebrate the big heartedness that underlies festivities and have themed the Great Indian Festival as Tyohaar Bade Dilwala. We are delighted to celebrate this with our customers as much as with the entire ecosystem of our sellers, vendors and partners to bring festive cheer all over the country. We are delighted to partner with MTV Brand Studio who have conceptualized and created a beautiful musical experience for our customer. These marathon 120 hours of the event mark our continuing commitment to work closely with our partners and together bring the biggest sale yet for our customers, with the best ever shopping experience powered by Prime,” said Amazon India VP category management Manish Tiwary.

    Speaking about the content marketing initiative, Viacom18 youth and English entertainment head Ferzad Palia added, “We at MTV have always prided ourselves on being catalysts of change for our partners. And with this thought in mind, we have launched a unique offering titled MTV Brand Studio to help address branded content and content marketing needs of our clients. With this exciting new initiative with Amazon, we are delighted that a mega e-commerce giant recognizes MTV’s creative strength and Viacom18’s reach and the value it can generate for them. As a part of this association, MTV Brand Studio has not only conceptualized and created an entire music festival for Amazon but we are also going to be simulcasting the show across our biggest channels reaching out to mass, youth and regional audiences.”

    This year, Amazon India has reinvented itself in a truly disruptive manner. During this month of multiple festivals such as Navratra, Dussehra and Diwali there is a certain magic in the air that makes us feel a little more magnanimous than usual and encourages us to do things that otherwise we might not. This magnanimity manifests into small acts of benevolence not just towards immediate family members but is also towards friends and the society in general. These actions, small and big are a reflection of the Bade Dilwala (Big-Hearted) season in a way. Thus, MTV Brand Studio has helped fashion Amazon India’s campaign idea to build and celebrate this spirit of big heartedness during this festive season with the creation of a one – of – its kind music festival which leads up to the biggest sale of the season.

  • MTV Brand Studio to create music festival for Amazon India

    MTV Brand Studio to create music festival for Amazon India

    MUMBAI: Amazon.in in association with MTV is all set to welcome the festive season with an exciting content marketing initiative.To break the clutter around the festival season, Amazon has upped the ante where customer engagement is concerned by creating a one-of-its kind musical experience in association with MTV’s creative services offering for brands – MTV Brand Studio.

    MTV Brand Studio was set up with the aim to provide brands with creative branded content and content marketing solutions to engage with their audience. With this tie up, the idea is to tap into the gaiety of the festive season by getting renowned musicians to kick it off with a music festival leading up to the launch of Amazon.in’s big-hearted sale, the Amazon Great Indian Festival – Tyohaar Bade Dilwala.

    A first of its kind, the music festival which has been conceptualized and created by the MTV Brand Studio for Amazon India, is being hailed as the biggest content marketing initiatives undertaken by a brand in India this year. For the music festival, MTV has roped in some of the biggest and the most talented musicians to create a music festival which encapsulates the excitement of the festive season and gets the customers into festive mode. The music festival stage will host the likes of Badshah, Vishal and Shekhar, Sunidhi Chauhan, Papon and Shaan will be aired across MTV, MTV Beats, Colors, Rishtey, Colors Marathi and Colors Gujarati in both SD and HD on 30 September 2016 at 11 pm thus ensuring maximum reach across age groups through the combined reach of the mass, youth and regional brands of Viacom18.

    “This year we recognize and celebrate the big heartedness that underlies festivities and have themed the Great Indian Festival as Tyohaar Bade Dilwala. We are delighted to celebrate this with our customers as much as with the entire ecosystem of our sellers, vendors and partners to bring festive cheer all over the country. We are delighted to partner with MTV Brand Studio who have conceptualized and created a beautiful musical experience for our customer. These marathon 120 hours of the event mark our continuing commitment to work closely with our partners and together bring the biggest sale yet for our customers, with the best ever shopping experience powered by Prime,” said Amazon India VP category management Manish Tiwary.

    Speaking about the content marketing initiative, Viacom18 youth and English entertainment head Ferzad Palia added, “We at MTV have always prided ourselves on being catalysts of change for our partners. And with this thought in mind, we have launched a unique offering titled MTV Brand Studio to help address branded content and content marketing needs of our clients. With this exciting new initiative with Amazon, we are delighted that a mega e-commerce giant recognizes MTV’s creative strength and Viacom18’s reach and the value it can generate for them. As a part of this association, MTV Brand Studio has not only conceptualized and created an entire music festival for Amazon but we are also going to be simulcasting the show across our biggest channels reaching out to mass, youth and regional audiences.”

    This year, Amazon India has reinvented itself in a truly disruptive manner. During this month of multiple festivals such as Navratra, Dussehra and Diwali there is a certain magic in the air that makes us feel a little more magnanimous than usual and encourages us to do things that otherwise we might not. This magnanimity manifests into small acts of benevolence not just towards immediate family members but is also towards friends and the society in general. These actions, small and big are a reflection of the Bade Dilwala (Big-Hearted) season in a way. Thus, MTV Brand Studio has helped fashion Amazon India’s campaign idea to build and celebrate this spirit of big heartedness during this festive season with the creation of a one – of – its kind music festival which leads up to the biggest sale of the season.

  • &TV’s The Voice India Kids gears up for Battles

    &TV’s The Voice India Kids gears up for Battles

    Mumbai: &TV’s premiere singing reality show The Voice India Kids has gained immense popularity and fan following for its great talent, fun banter between the Coaches and superlative singing. The young voices introduced in BLIND audition have definitely lived up to the motto of “Size kum hai, par dum nahi” with the youngest contestant being all of 6 years old! The Coaches – Shekhar, Neeti and Shaan have fought for the Voices that struck a chord with them and have now formed their teams with the best contestants. With 18 contestants in each team, the race to the finish has only intensified further! Don’t miss the unique, spellbinding and high voltage episodes of the fiery BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 pm only on &TV.

    If you thought the BLIND audition was unique, the BATTLES will be even more impactful. Each coach will choose 3 kids from their own team and train them for a song that highlights their best aspect of singing. The coaches will be seen leaving no stone unturned to spend time with their teams and imparting knowledge about music. However, during the BATTLES, the coaches will find themselves in a tight spot as they will take a call and eliminate 2 contestants from the trio they formed themselves. To add to this metaphorical round is the set design wherein the stage will be set up like a boxing ring.

    Interestingly, for the BATTLES, the coaches have sought help from the best in the industry. While Singer Harshdeep Kaur joined Neeti to sort trios and pick songs for them, Music Director Shantanu Moitra backed Shaan and engaged in the selection process of his team. Composer, Musician, Singer and Lyricist Amit Trivedi spent time with Shekhar and his team and tried various combination of voices till they found the perfect trio.

    The excitement among the three judges is intense and the response overwhelming. Said Coach Shaan, “Last time, it was tough for me to pair two adults for the BATTLES and this time around it’s even more challenging to form a trio with the kids wherein two of them will be eliminated. What is overwhelming and encouraging is the fact that these kids are so eager to learn and grasp new things. It has certainly been an enriching experience.”

    Added Coach Shekhar Ravjiani, “While the BLIND Auditions have been exciting, the real task has just begun. As a coach, my priority is to train these kids to the best of my ability in the given time and prepare them for the next round which is the BATTLES. Matching the scale and the tempo of each child with the other and forming a trio is definitely difficult but the end result will be fabulous. We have spent time together and selected songs that the kids have worked upon and enjoyed.”

    Coach Neeti Mohan further added, “I am proud of each and every contestant who has participated in The Voice India Kids. I can completely understand their fears and anxieties and hence adopted a different style of coaching them. I have had various interactions with them to tell them that this is a learning ground for them and what they experience here is certainly going to help them in the long run. They may seem to be 10- 14 years old, but their maturity is commendable.”

    From the house of Talpa Media and produced by Endemol Shine India, The Voice India Kids has become definitely popular with ardent fans around the globe encouraging the contestants through social media platforms. And now the enthusiasm goes several notches higher as the battleground is set to choose the best.

    Tune in to The Voice India Kids BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm on &TV!

  • &TV’s The Voice India Kids gears up for Battles

    &TV’s The Voice India Kids gears up for Battles

    Mumbai: &TV’s premiere singing reality show The Voice India Kids has gained immense popularity and fan following for its great talent, fun banter between the Coaches and superlative singing. The young voices introduced in BLIND audition have definitely lived up to the motto of “Size kum hai, par dum nahi” with the youngest contestant being all of 6 years old! The Coaches – Shekhar, Neeti and Shaan have fought for the Voices that struck a chord with them and have now formed their teams with the best contestants. With 18 contestants in each team, the race to the finish has only intensified further! Don’t miss the unique, spellbinding and high voltage episodes of the fiery BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 pm only on &TV.

    If you thought the BLIND audition was unique, the BATTLES will be even more impactful. Each coach will choose 3 kids from their own team and train them for a song that highlights their best aspect of singing. The coaches will be seen leaving no stone unturned to spend time with their teams and imparting knowledge about music. However, during the BATTLES, the coaches will find themselves in a tight spot as they will take a call and eliminate 2 contestants from the trio they formed themselves. To add to this metaphorical round is the set design wherein the stage will be set up like a boxing ring.

    Interestingly, for the BATTLES, the coaches have sought help from the best in the industry. While Singer Harshdeep Kaur joined Neeti to sort trios and pick songs for them, Music Director Shantanu Moitra backed Shaan and engaged in the selection process of his team. Composer, Musician, Singer and Lyricist Amit Trivedi spent time with Shekhar and his team and tried various combination of voices till they found the perfect trio.

    The excitement among the three judges is intense and the response overwhelming. Said Coach Shaan, “Last time, it was tough for me to pair two adults for the BATTLES and this time around it’s even more challenging to form a trio with the kids wherein two of them will be eliminated. What is overwhelming and encouraging is the fact that these kids are so eager to learn and grasp new things. It has certainly been an enriching experience.”

    Added Coach Shekhar Ravjiani, “While the BLIND Auditions have been exciting, the real task has just begun. As a coach, my priority is to train these kids to the best of my ability in the given time and prepare them for the next round which is the BATTLES. Matching the scale and the tempo of each child with the other and forming a trio is definitely difficult but the end result will be fabulous. We have spent time together and selected songs that the kids have worked upon and enjoyed.”

    Coach Neeti Mohan further added, “I am proud of each and every contestant who has participated in The Voice India Kids. I can completely understand their fears and anxieties and hence adopted a different style of coaching them. I have had various interactions with them to tell them that this is a learning ground for them and what they experience here is certainly going to help them in the long run. They may seem to be 10- 14 years old, but their maturity is commendable.”

    From the house of Talpa Media and produced by Endemol Shine India, The Voice India Kids has become definitely popular with ardent fans around the globe encouraging the contestants through social media platforms. And now the enthusiasm goes several notches higher as the battleground is set to choose the best.

    Tune in to The Voice India Kids BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm on &TV!

  • Percept Pictures releases Youtube channel ‘Indian Chronicles’ and Musical Short Film on LGBTQ

    Percept Pictures releases Youtube channel ‘Indian Chronicles’ and Musical Short Film on LGBTQ

    MUMBAI: Percept Pictures has launched its new Musical Short Film on the contentious LGBTQ subject matter. “Just Begun” is an interesting journey of a young female couple as they embark on life together, with the journey transporting the viewer through flashes of reminiscence. The objective of the film is to convey the concept of Love in its purest form, break preconceived barriers, encourage liberation and support humanitarianism, with an ecstatic music track. The film makers claim to deal with an extremely sensitive issue, yet tackles it in the most tranquil and contemporary style with an aim to reach out to the vast global audience.

    Produced and directed by Percept Pictures, this short film continues to add to their repertoire of achievements following in the footsteps of their award winning short film (aids+b)2 which won the Best Film award at the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2016.

    Percept Pictures chief operating officer Danny Mamik said, “We were quite disturbed by the shootings in Orlando and wanted to do our bit to showcase our support for the LGBTQ community through a platform that could reach out to the masses. While brainstorming we came up with the idea of “LOVE IS THE OLDEST RELIGION”, and I was quite surprised to realize that there is no phrase coined like that till date. The phrase is so true and so apt for our world right now.”

    He further added, “Once we cracked the core concept, the execution and treatment of the video just flowed. The main thought that we want to communicate is that it doesn’t matter who you are or what your choices are, as long as there is Love, there should be no judgement.”

    Percept Pictures also announced the launch of its YouTube page, “Indian Chronicles”. This channel will serve as a dedicated platform to enable the youth to express themselves. Over the past year Percept Pictures has become a nurturing ground for young aspiring creative talent and ‘Indian Chronicles’ will offer an opportunity and platform for young budding creative talents across our country to showcase their skills and voice their opinions in a creative manner across any topic that is close to their heart.   

    The content of the channel will be three fold, viz:
    –  Cause Cinema
    –  Topical, Real stories
    –  A platform to showcase Talent – any person, anywhere in India who has talent can showcase their skills on Indian Chronicles

    Commented Danny, “At Percept Pictures we have always believed in giving the youth a chance to express themselves. The movie Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi is a prime example – Salim Suleimann, Vishal Shekhar, Shaan and many more had all debuted in that film. In keeping with that tradition and seeing that we are now truly in the digital age, we launched a channel on YouTube called Indian Chronicles with the sole purpose to offer youngsters a chance to express themselves. The content of the channel will be real, raw and topical. We don’t want to limit ourselves to only professionals of the film world…there are 1.2 billion people out there and each one has a story to tell. I believe that the audience is ready for real stories and that is what we will focus on via Indian Chronicles.”
     

  • Percept Pictures releases Youtube channel ‘Indian Chronicles’ and Musical Short Film on LGBTQ

    Percept Pictures releases Youtube channel ‘Indian Chronicles’ and Musical Short Film on LGBTQ

    MUMBAI: Percept Pictures has launched its new Musical Short Film on the contentious LGBTQ subject matter. “Just Begun” is an interesting journey of a young female couple as they embark on life together, with the journey transporting the viewer through flashes of reminiscence. The objective of the film is to convey the concept of Love in its purest form, break preconceived barriers, encourage liberation and support humanitarianism, with an ecstatic music track. The film makers claim to deal with an extremely sensitive issue, yet tackles it in the most tranquil and contemporary style with an aim to reach out to the vast global audience.

    Produced and directed by Percept Pictures, this short film continues to add to their repertoire of achievements following in the footsteps of their award winning short film (aids+b)2 which won the Best Film award at the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2016.

    Percept Pictures chief operating officer Danny Mamik said, “We were quite disturbed by the shootings in Orlando and wanted to do our bit to showcase our support for the LGBTQ community through a platform that could reach out to the masses. While brainstorming we came up with the idea of “LOVE IS THE OLDEST RELIGION”, and I was quite surprised to realize that there is no phrase coined like that till date. The phrase is so true and so apt for our world right now.”

    He further added, “Once we cracked the core concept, the execution and treatment of the video just flowed. The main thought that we want to communicate is that it doesn’t matter who you are or what your choices are, as long as there is Love, there should be no judgement.”

    Percept Pictures also announced the launch of its YouTube page, “Indian Chronicles”. This channel will serve as a dedicated platform to enable the youth to express themselves. Over the past year Percept Pictures has become a nurturing ground for young aspiring creative talent and ‘Indian Chronicles’ will offer an opportunity and platform for young budding creative talents across our country to showcase their skills and voice their opinions in a creative manner across any topic that is close to their heart.   

    The content of the channel will be three fold, viz:
    –  Cause Cinema
    –  Topical, Real stories
    –  A platform to showcase Talent – any person, anywhere in India who has talent can showcase their skills on Indian Chronicles

    Commented Danny, “At Percept Pictures we have always believed in giving the youth a chance to express themselves. The movie Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi is a prime example – Salim Suleimann, Vishal Shekhar, Shaan and many more had all debuted in that film. In keeping with that tradition and seeing that we are now truly in the digital age, we launched a channel on YouTube called Indian Chronicles with the sole purpose to offer youngsters a chance to express themselves. The content of the channel will be real, raw and topical. We don’t want to limit ourselves to only professionals of the film world…there are 1.2 billion people out there and each one has a story to tell. I believe that the audience is ready for real stories and that is what we will focus on via Indian Chronicles.”
     

  • &TV strengthens its weekend with ‘The Voice India’ Kids

    &TV strengthens its weekend with ‘The Voice India’ Kids

    MUMBAI: With only the voice as the stepping stone to realizing one’s musical dreams, The Voice India enthralled the nation with superlative talent from across the country, giving them the much required platform and mentors who have inspired many. What followed is immense liking towards the format that showcased the hard work and determination of contestants translating into some exceptional performances on screen.

    Taking this ahead, &TV is all set to extend this popular format with its first kid’s reality – The Voice India Kids. From the house of Talpa Media and produced by Endemol Shine India, the kids format will see participants from across the country in the age group of 6 – 14 years serenade one and all throughout Blinds, Battles and LIVE. As the panel of esteemed mentors, the channel has roped in ace singer-composer Shekhar Ravjiani; the most charming and effervescent singer Shaan; the versatile Neeti Mohanas ‘Coaches’ and popular actor Jai Bhanushali and singer-comedian Sugandha Mishra to take on the mantle as hosts. The Voice India Kids is all set to take the nation by storm starting 23rd July every Saturday – Sunday at 9:00PM only on &TV.

    Speaking on the development, &TV business head Rajesh Iyer , “The Voice India proved to be a clutter breaking format in the singing reality genre and we felt the need to build the franchise further. We believe that The Voice India Kids serves as a platform in not just highlighting the young talent but also in encouraging children to be trained under mentors of high caliber like Shekhar, Shaan and Neeti.”

    The Voice India Kids is a reality TV singing competition, based on the concept of finding diverse vocal talent contested by children, who will be selected from public auditions. Staying true to the popular international format – of selecting talent based solely on their voice, The Voice India Kids remains similar to that of The Voice India.

    It will be interesting to watch these little wonders, however little in size, manage to make heads turn with the power of their Voice!

     

  • &TV strengthens its weekend with ‘The Voice India’ Kids

    &TV strengthens its weekend with ‘The Voice India’ Kids

    MUMBAI: With only the voice as the stepping stone to realizing one’s musical dreams, The Voice India enthralled the nation with superlative talent from across the country, giving them the much required platform and mentors who have inspired many. What followed is immense liking towards the format that showcased the hard work and determination of contestants translating into some exceptional performances on screen.

    Taking this ahead, &TV is all set to extend this popular format with its first kid’s reality – The Voice India Kids. From the house of Talpa Media and produced by Endemol Shine India, the kids format will see participants from across the country in the age group of 6 – 14 years serenade one and all throughout Blinds, Battles and LIVE. As the panel of esteemed mentors, the channel has roped in ace singer-composer Shekhar Ravjiani; the most charming and effervescent singer Shaan; the versatile Neeti Mohanas ‘Coaches’ and popular actor Jai Bhanushali and singer-comedian Sugandha Mishra to take on the mantle as hosts. The Voice India Kids is all set to take the nation by storm starting 23rd July every Saturday – Sunday at 9:00PM only on &TV.

    Speaking on the development, &TV business head Rajesh Iyer , “The Voice India proved to be a clutter breaking format in the singing reality genre and we felt the need to build the franchise further. We believe that The Voice India Kids serves as a platform in not just highlighting the young talent but also in encouraging children to be trained under mentors of high caliber like Shekhar, Shaan and Neeti.”

    The Voice India Kids is a reality TV singing competition, based on the concept of finding diverse vocal talent contested by children, who will be selected from public auditions. Staying true to the popular international format – of selecting talent based solely on their voice, The Voice India Kids remains similar to that of The Voice India.

    It will be interesting to watch these little wonders, however little in size, manage to make heads turn with the power of their Voice!

     

  • Celebrity led-VOD platform Wakau ropes in Big B, Tendulkar & others as contributors

    Celebrity led-VOD platform Wakau ropes in Big B, Tendulkar & others as contributors

    MUMBAI: CA Media Digital and Jetsynthesys have jointly launched their first of its kind, freemium celebrity video blogging app called Wakau in India.

    The app, which allows users to access unseen candid celeb moments to help them connect further with their favourite stars and celebs, was launched by Amitabh Bachchan.

    Apart from Bachchan, Wakau has also roped in celebs like Sachin Tendulkar, Arjun Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Nirahua, Shaan, Manju Warrier, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sophie Choudry, Arman Malik and Elli Avaram, who will contribute to the platform.

    The app will upload new content including landmark moments from the celebs lives, hobbies and interests and career stories, for subscribers on a daily basis. On Wakau, fans can watch, share and comment on a variety of videos categorised topically and by celebrity. The app, has a celebrity interface feature that enables celebs to upload premium video content, while allowing them to track fan comments on their videos and respond directly.

    Talking about his association with Wakau, Bachchan said, “Social media is an integral part of my life today. I have always tried to stay connected with my fans and respond to them whenever possible through my blog and other social media platforms. I am glad to be associated with an interactive platform like Wakau, through which I can share some of my candid moments from my day to day life with my fans and inch closer to them.”

    Freely downloadable to users across India, this freemium app allows consumers to view celebrity videos for free, with the videos being interspersed with advertisements. The app also supports an ad-free experience via its subscription service.

    CA Media India EVP operations Rishi Negi said, “Wakau is a great opportunity for celebrities to connect with their fans and share personal stories, interests, sepia moments and cherished thoughts through their video blogs. The app is a celebrity hotspot that enables consumers to gain easy access to insightful videos of their favourite superstars and personal heroes on their phones.”

    Jetsynthesys vice chairman and managing director Rajan Navani added, “Through constant and continuous innovation we at Jetsynthesys strive to offer the best in digital technology and Wakau is no exception. With a deep focus on creating a personal connect with the consumer through leveraging analytics, the Wakau experience will eventually pave the way towards many firsts for the world. We are excited to launch this unique world class Indian product that would become the social digital media screen of the 21st century.”

  • Shreya Ghoshal: Today Bollywood is compromising a lot on good content

    Shreya Ghoshal: Today Bollywood is compromising a lot on good content

    Her fans address her by various names like ‘Selfie Queen,’ ‘Princess,’ ‘Songstress’ but the most common is ‘Queen of Melody.’ Shreya Ghoshal’s single post on social networking websites creates a hullabaloo. Fans flood her with praises and the songstress at times even replies to a few messages.

     

    In this exclusive interview with Dhairya Ingle of Indiantelevision.com the singer talks about various aspects of her life including Rabindranath Tagore’s project, which is collaboration between her, Shaan, Shantanu Moitra and Gulzar.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    How has your journey as a musician been so far?

     

    Quite exciting! Every day brings me something new and I think that is the beauty of being a musician. Especially in a country like ours where we are most of the time working for films. There is so much happening in this industry with so many languages, where different types of music comes together and co-exists. So it is wonderful being in the field of music, working with the seniors and new comers, learning new things everyday.

     

    You have crooned a few songs for ‘Jaanisaar.’ How was it working with Muzaffar Ali? And how different is it to sing a classical song as compared to a regular Bollywood number?

     

    I think there is a lot more freedom in this genre because if you hear the songs of ‘Jaanisar,’ each is a performance and there’s a constant need of improvisation. It is not something that can one can learn by heart and sing. Every line is different and there is a new expression that is required. Hailing from the era of mujra, every word has to be expressed, with the essence of pure classical music i.e. thumri, dadra, kajre.

     

    So I had an amalgamation of ghazals and classical music, which gave me more freedom. I don’t get to do that in any of the other songs, though I still have scope to improvise but not as much. It is not a commercial song. The songs of ‘Jaanisar’ are for people who understand and follow Indian classical music. One of the biggest reasons I did my album ‘Humnasheen’ was pretty much to feel that experience.

     

    Muzaffar sahab is a very revered man and I respect him a lot. His presence in the studio itself was very supportive and you know that he is there to appreciate the song and the art you possess. I give equal credits to Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan, who is the son of Salamat Ali Khan sahab. He is more of a singer composer and once he starts singing, you definitely get mesmerised and often get tongue tied.

     

    Which veteran musician did you always dream of working with?

     

    I cannot work with people who are no longer with us and so it will always remain a dream. Artists from earlier eras like Madan Mohan sahab was gifted with putting a soul into the music he composed. Same was with Anand Bakishiji, Gulzar sahab and Sahir Ludhianvi sahab, wherein the first word and the first sentence itself is poetry as it came naturally to them. These are gifted people, who possess power and sensitivity. I feel that there is still a lot of talent around and we have the audiences to appreciate the same. However, what lacks is a platform to do express freely.

     

    Previously a lyricist, singer or composer did not have the pressure of creating a hit song. All that a person required to do was to create a song, but now the pressure is to make a blockbuster money-making track. Hence it becomes very hard for talented people to portray their art. Today Bollywood is compromising a lot on good content.

     

    Tell us about your riyaaz schedule.

     

    I will be very honest with you. I was a very disciplined student of music in my early days and I would thank my parents for making me do so. I would travel long distances for learning music and my parents made sure that after coming from there, I would do my riyaaz. Even before going to school, my mother would wake me up at 6.30 am and I would do my riyaaz on a tanpura.

     

    No child would actually like doing their riyaaz so early, but that’s what built a strong foundation for me. Now I don’t give that many hours for my riyaaz but I do light vocal exercises to warm up my voice. There are thing that I cannot do very well and I keep practicing them so as to improve.

     

    I don’t devote hours and hours for praticising ragas as I’m in the studio the whole day and I end up singing too much. All I need to do is keep my voice intact and get better at my execution than tiring my voice. I think that is how every professional singer functions when they get to a very hectic lifestyle.

     

    Any non-film projects that you are currently working on?

     

    Yes. I just got the mixes for Gulzar sahab’s project on Rabindranath Tagore. Shaan and I have sung songs for the project and the music is composed by Shantanu Moitra. The project is very special and will be releasing under Saregama. Tagore’s style of writing has been adapted by Gulzar sahab. It takes you to an era of Tagore but completely in a new fashion. It will release in a couple of months.

     

    Which non-film song sung by you is your favorite?

     

    It would be ‘Yeh Kya Hua Tere Mere Pyaar Ki Baatein,’ from the album ‘Chandni Raatein’ in 2004, which I did very long ago. This was the first time I was doing a Hindi album song and it was really loved by people then.

     

    You sung Kishore Kumar’s old melody ‘Mere Mehboob.’ Do you wish to re-render any of the olden melodies? If yes, which one?

     

    Actually the song ‘Mere Mehboob’ got stuck in my head and I was recording a new song but ‘Mere Mehboob’ did not go off. So I got back home, sat on my piano and recorded it on my phone. I put it up on my social media and people loved it. I keep my social media very private and have never given it to any agency like many others. I personally read each and every tweet that comes to me and I was so overwhelmed with the love.

     

    When it comes to re-rendering any other tracks, I would say there are many. I love all Madan Mohan sahab and Lataji’s tracks. I would love to do the song ‘Jalte Hain Jiske Liye’ from the film ‘Sujata’ crooned by Talat Mehmood sahab.

     

    Basically I love re-rendering tracks, which are sung by male voices because when you sing a female version of the same track, you reinterpret the whole track.

     

    How does your partner Shiladitya react to the fame and love that you get as a singer? Is he your best critic?

     

    He is my best friend and likes everything I do, which is why he cannot criticise me. I feel my best critics are my parents. My dad will only point put crucial problems in what I do. 

     

    When it comes to Shiladitya, he has been my bestest buddy for ten years so we are each others’ confidant and now that we are married, there is an additional level of responsibility for each other. However, he is exactly the kind of spirit that I would want to be. He is the one who will push me to do all the good things even when I doubt myself. He will just ask me to follow my heart and do what I wish to do and makes me believe in me. Even my parents make me believe in myself, I feel a little responsible in front of my parents. But with Shiladitya around I can do anything I want to.