With a timeless voice

musically fit

He struggled for eight long years before ‘Papa Kehte Hain’ for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak happened. By singer Udit Narayan’s own admission, it still took some time to really get his playback career going. In 1990, Dil followed, and after that, it quickly became ‘zoom time’.

By 1995, thanks to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and many more hits, Udit (in an era dominated by clones of Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar) soon became the busiest playback singer. The plethora of his hits included ‘Pardesi Pardesi Jaana Nahin’ (Raja Hindustani) and the title-track of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Since then, Udit has won an unprecedented three National awards (for Lagaan, a small film called Zindagi Khubsoorat Hai and Swades) and even sung for stalwarts like Dev Anand and Amitabh Bachchan!

There is nothing left to prove for this singer from a Bihar-Nepal border village, who arrived in Mumbai on a Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan scholarship to learn classical music, and got his first break in an ensemble song in the 1980 movie Unees-Bees with his idol Mohammed Rafi.

Positive notes

The affable singer does not mince words about his current phase of barely recording any songs. “Life throws examinations at you every day,” he smiles, “but frankly, there was more tension during busier times.” Of late, the former voice of Aamir Khan has been relegated to singing for older artistes like Rishi Kapoor (for Student Of The Year) and supporting actors in movies like ABCD, It’s Entertainment.

But Udit considers himself blessed to have had such a long innings. “I have worked on my diction and sung with complete honesty,” he says. “Our generation and our seniors believed in feeling each song, its situation and mood, and above all — because most of our songs were filmed for heroes on screen — bringing in that vital element of heroism. For instance, look at my songs from Lagaan (whose ‘Mitwaa’ began my National award innings), Gadar—Ek Prem Katha (‘Main nikla gaddi lekar’) or the title tracks of Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Koi…Mil Gaya.”

Recalling his initial days in the industry, Udit says, “I have worked on a salary of a hundred rupees a month. As a singer, I recall walking 15 kilometres in pouring rain to stand outside the late Laxmikant-ji’s (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal musical duo) bungalow hoping that I would get an audience with him. In hindsight, I consider myself lucky to have struggled so much, because till today, those memories are with me 24/7. You also learn to value success and hard work. And it’s a proven fact that those who have had very long struggles have lasted the longest in our industry.”

Udit’s humble beginnings as the son of a farmer ensured he remained grounded even during the peaks of success. “My father refused to leave his roots and come live with me even when I made it big. He continued being a farmer till the very end. Main zameen pe rehna chahta hoon (I want to remain grounded). Music also begins with the fragrance of earth and then branches out,” he avers.

In an era when most singers’ vocals rust due to paucity of work, how does Udit remain a resonant exception? He smiles again and says, “Maine apne aap ko banaakar rakkha (I preserved myself well). I was never overly ambitious, but at peace with myself and what I was getting. I got and still get invaluable love and support from my fans, and that made it easier, because it was my most important wealth.”

Simple living

Shedding light on his outlook in life, Udit states, “I never believed in needless luxuries and high living or the need to show off my status. Even today, I have a Hyundai i10 that I drive myself, and I keep a simple cellphone. I also kept myself away from stress, which meant that I was never insecure or jealous about which colleague was getting how much work. My focus was always and only on my work. And this has been the case since I was 19 or 20 years old.”

Talking about today’s music scene, he says, “I cannot categorically say that today’s music is bad. Things change with time and viewpoints differ with age. But I must say that the difference in the music today is between great and good work.” He further explains, “Why do songs composed 60 years ago still sound fresh? Can we ever get tired of Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar or even K L Saigal? Similarly, we had our time — a time of good films and good lyrics. My philosophy is to do my best with whatever comes my way. At my peak, I was aware that the phase would not last forever.”

With his classical base, what does he do by way of riyaaz to maintain his vocal chords? “I must confess that I can no longer do riyaaz for three to four hours as before, but I still do 30 to 40 minutes of vocal exercises daily,” he replies. “But for music, it is also essential to be physically and mentally fit,” he adds.

“After singing in 36 different languages and dialects in over 35 years, even if I get to sing just one song a year now, I will see that my voice retains its appeal. And I promise I will keep singing till I die,” he signs off.