This simple-hearted jovial Amritsari (Punjab) man boarded a train to sing a Rahman-esque number in his typical full-throated ease andaaz. Little did he know that the song would attain a cult status and become his big ticket pass to Bollywood. Above on the train top, King Khan Shah Rukh swung to the swift-beat track Chhaiya Chhaiya with sultry Malaika Arora for company in Mani Ratnam’s critically-acclaimed movie Dil Se and behind the scenes, Sukhwinder Singh’s happy voice brought him a lot of sukh through reward and recognition.
With the Bollywood badshah, he later churned out more filmi superhits like Dard-e-Disco from Om Shanti Om and Haule Haule Se from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, while composer extraordinaire A.R. Rahman gave him that Oscar-winning magical gem called Jai Ho. Overnight, his stardom soared to international prominence. Of course before that, he had already tasted yet another national success with a sporty-patriotic musical creation — Chak de India.
Tracing his journey that saw struggles alongside prosperity, the 44-year-old singer recalls what actually triggered music in his life. “Oh that goes back a long long time, ever since I can remember. I think if something has to happen, it will. It’s destiny after all. Nothing is in our own hands. God has designs on mankind,” he reflects.
“It’s still a fond childhood memory for me (smiles). I was very young at that time, may be around five-six years old, when I had gone for this cultural event in the city. It was a musical evening and the organisers announced a huge trophy for the winner to receive. But as a child, I had mistakenly heard the word ‘Toffee’ and that played a magical trick on my ears! I started insisting to sing on stage because I loved toffees. In fact, in order to make my wish come true, I bawled so loudly that nobody could really ignore my cries (laughs). Seeing an infant so much upset and distressed, one of the elderly organisers finally allowed me to take centrestage and I grabbed the golden chance. I sang my heart out, performing the superhit Lataji’s number Sa re ga ma pa pa pa pa ga ma re, chal ga re mere sang mere sajna in my kiddish voice. Luckily, I had no stage fright and never shied of enjoying the crowd’s cheers and adulation, which were directed at ‘such a cute baby’ as they would call me. As a result, they requested me for a repeat and I readily gave in. It was only after rendering the song for at least four-five times that I got fed up with the encore and again howled for my toffees! I believe that episode had itself sown the seeds of my passion for music,” he narrates.
When asked if he was always glued to Bollywood songs to begin with, Singh says: “Actually I have grown up listening to Sufi songs at akharas, tombs of the saints, as well as peers in Punjab and elsewhere. That was my rich staple diet to avidly feed upon. I was also heavily influenced by German, English and Russian operas during my stay in England and my subsequent tours of several other countries to explore music as a teenager. I had travelled far and wide to understand world music after my maiden album Munda South Hall da released and my foray in Bollywood as a playback singer happened. So there have been not just one, but diverse indelible imprints of music left on my mind apart from Bollywood.”
He further shares: “In mainstream Hindi music, the irrefutable favourites come in the form of sister-duo Lataji (Mangeshkar) and Ashaji (Bhosle) and I am a great fan of all their haunting renditions. But I do not consciously follow anybody in particular. Rather, I have learnt the musical nuances from various people.”
Talking of folk music, he says, “I feel it is an uncharted area of boundless inspiration. But my own singing is mine alone. I always stick to individualism and know very well that in Hindi cine-playback singing one cannot hope for a long sustainable innings, if he/she is trying to ape or imbibe styles of preceding established singers.”
He honestly accepts the fact that meeting Rahman and singing Chhaiya Chhaiya for Dil Se proved to be a turning point in his career and reiterates that the Academy Awardee only put him on that train of success and by the grace of God, he is still riding on it.
“When I met him for the first time, he was composing music for Govind Nihalani’s film Takshak. He asked me if I can write songs and I promptly nodded. Later, I wrote the lyrics of Mujhe rang de, rang de, mujhe rang de song, which went on to become a blockbuster in Ashaji’s sonorous voice. Further, when he asked me to pen down some more wordings, I then told him that I had actually come to him to bag a few singing assignments. He kept his promise and gave me the precious gift of Peer Baba Bulle Shah’s nazm Tere ishq nachaya karke thaiya thaiya. From there I guess you already got the cue of Chal chhaiyaan chhaiyaan and that’s exactly how the song had emanated. Best thing about Rahman is that he is very flexible in his approach and allows you ample space to deliver your goods. In fact, all my music-directors grant me this liberty to toy with their songs and unleash my finest shots over the mike,” he gladly recounts, looking back at his association with the master.
Listing his forthcoming Bollywood projects, the well-accomplished voice in Bollywood music names Vishal Bharadwaj’s much-touted film Rangoon, Salman Khan-starrer Sultan which is already in the buzz, a must-watch Sarbjit, Pranam and two untitled films by Mahesh Manjrekar in an impressive line-up.
