JOIN US'I would like to playback for Hrithik Roshan'
Singers Abhijit Ghoshal and Shaan go back a long way when the Tanha Dil singer was the host of music-based show SaReGaMaPa and the former was a contestant. Now the two have collaborated for Meri Pyaari Gudiya (MPG), a song for the cause of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ (a government campaign) which has been composed by him along with Aniket Kar and Adil Rasheed and sung by Shaan. In a conversation with Metrolife, Ghoshal talks about his musical journey and the idea behind the composition.
What is MPG all about, and why did you decide to record the song in Shaan’s voice?
It is basically a father’s perspective towards his daughter, a particular segment of emotions which has rarely been addressed. Moreover, it is an extension of the government’s campaign which underlines the importance of saving the girl child and educating her. Shaan has got one of the silkiest voices in Bollywood, and his voice has never been used in such a manner. He heard the concept and readily agreed to sing the song. He had only one condition: that he would not charge anything. And rest, as you can hear, is a stupendous song in his voice.
Is the song born out of a personal experience?
I have two daughters who are much loved in our family. And looking into the growing atrocities on females and cases of gender discrimination these days, it came naturally.
Do you plan to approach the government to use the song for the campaign?
Now that MPG has touched a lot of people, we do wish to place it before the government. The trial has been initiated.
How and when did your musical journey begin?
Being a Bengali, your music starts even before you know it has. My music started with Rabindra Sangeet and Pankaj Kumar Mallik’s Mahalaya (a regular feature every year during Durga Puja in Allahabad). And it flourished through college fests and endless antakshari moments with our cousins and friends.
Had you not participated in a reality show, do you think you would have had as many
avenues open to you?
I am from an era of reality shows that saw very tough competition. My participation in the contest did give me an insight of how equipped I was to sustain in this industry. So, in a way yes, it did help me to get a foothold in the music industry.
If given a choice, which actor would you like to lend your voice to?
I would like to playback for Hrithik Roshan.
What do you have to say about music-based reality shows as a platform for upcoming talent?
Reality shows are good when taken as a ‘platform’ to start your journey. But many a time, the contestants take it for granted that the channel will make their future and the judges will go out of their way to make their career — which is a false thought process. That is the start of the downfall.