‘Indie music is known because of YouTube’

You may know him by his band ‘Sanam’, which does covers of Bollywood songs and also comes up with some original numbers. But apart from that, Sanam Puri also has a fan following for his Bollywood numbers ‘Dhat Teri Ki’ from ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’, ‘Ishq Bulava’ from ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’, ‘Barbaad Raat’ from ‘Humshakals’ and so on.

This time, he’s lent his voice for ‘Fakira’ in Punit Malhotra’s ‘Student of The Year 2’ which netizens have been listening to on repeat. He spoke to Anila Kurian about working on the song with Neeti Mohan and what his upcoming plans with the band are.

‘Student of the Year’ is already known for its catchy songs. Did you feel the pressure to raise the bar with the sequel songs too?
No, I didn’t feel the pressure at all. Pressure comes out of fear and I’m only scared of wasps and bees. It was actually fun working on the song and I was happy to sing it with Neeti Mohan. I am grateful to Vishal And Shekhar for trusting me.

What about this song did you enjoy the most?
I loved every bit of the song because the melody is beautiful. Honestly, it was my relationship with Vishal and Shekar that encouraged me to take up the song.

What was it like working with the duo?
I went to the studio twice to record the song. I was really tired on the first day as the song needed to be recorded as soon as possible for the shoot. But I couldn’t sing it the way I wanted to so had to go back to the studio the next day. Also, I wanted more time to understand the song better. Thanks to that, I met the Mohan sisters on the first day.

How different is the world of Bollywood music from the songs your band Sanam makes?
I’m always more comfortable singing our own songs. Recording for Bollywood somehow has never felt comfortable or given me joy, maybe because of the lack of freedom and time. In a way, I am happy that it doesn’t work for me because that’s what pushed me to do my own thing and not depend on unpredictable humans.

YouTube gave you the space you needed to make a name. Do you think the process is similar in Bollywood too?
Bollywood is very different but now even that industry is using YouTube to push its reach. Finally, Bollywood is dependent on something else other than relying on ideas from international films Hollywood itself (laughs). That’s probably why independent music is stronger now.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.
Right now, I’m composing a lot of songs with the band. I wish I could tell you more, but all I can say is I’m extremely excited about the upcoming project.