Arjun Kanungo is a singer, composer, and songwriter. His foray in music happened at 18, when he set up a professional recording studio, Promethean Audio. He made his Bollywood debut with ‘Khoon Choos Le’ for the 2013 film ‘Go Goa Gone’. Three years later, his debut single ‘Baaki Baatein Peene Baad’ was released. Since then, he has released several singles, including ‘Fursat’, ‘Gallan Tipsiyaan’, ‘Tu Na Mera’.
Earlier this month, he was in the city, interact with budding artistes who were recording at the McDowell’s No. 1 Yaari Jam Pads. Metrolife caught up with the singer and spoke about his music, love for sports and his efforts at conservation.
What inspires you to write a song?
Personal experiences, usually. My songs depend on my general mood.
Your past few songs have been about heartbreak...
Last year, I had a bad break up, so I mostly wrote sad songs. It drew from an actual heartbreak. I just channelled that energy into something positive.
So now that you are dating Carla Ruth Dennis, will we be hearing happier songs?
Yeah, I think so. I just want to make happy songs now, at least for a while.
How did you guys meet?
We have known each other for almost three or four years, now. We always had such great chemistry, and one day it just happened (laughs).
You used to be a sports person — you were a national level basketball player and won national gold medal winner in Centre Fire Pistol. Do you still play?
Yes, I still play. I don’t compete. My mom is a commonwealth winner for shooting and has won multiple awards for the country. She is 59 years old, and she just went to Germany two months ago and won an award. I grew up with shooting and I still go with my mom to the range. I find it meditative.
How come you didn’t pursue sports as a career?
I just love music more. It was a tough choice. I was a national medalist, and giving that up for something where I had to start from scratch was scary. But, I did what I had to. I was too satisfied with my performance as a sportsperson. Music was a different ballgame. It was exciting then and still is. For me, music is like a higher calling.
You are an avid advocate for sustainability, and you have made many changes to this end. What motivated you to make this switch?
It is important for survival. Changes in the environment happen gradually and it is easy to not notice it. At the same time, you can see it happen. You can see the quality of life deteriorating. The air quality in our major cities is abysmal. We have a lot of problems with pollution, health and sanitation. While global warming is a global issue, and while we may not be worse than say, China or the US, we cannot ignore the fact that we are one of the major polluters in the world. We need to be more responsible.
What changes have you made?
You can do many basic things to cut down your carbon footprint, such as cut out red meat and dairy from your diet. You can not litter; it is not very difficult to keep wrappers or waste with you until you can discard it properly. Plant more trees or plants. The government needs to come up with more sustainable solutions, as well. My house is solar-powered, which I understand is not something everyone can do. But even your smallest steps will have a significant impact on the environment.
What are you working on currently?
I have a tour coming up. I sang songs for Anurag Kashyap’s next film. I am acting in a film; the shoot will start this month. There are talks of another film in January. I am also going to be producing my singles. There will be two releases before the end of the year. It is a great time to be an independent musician.
