Sukhwinder Singh is one of the most celebrated singers in Bollywood. He has sung songs in almost every genre, be it a peppy dance number or a melancholy track, Sukhwinder has nailed it all.

With his recent hits in films like ‘Zero’, 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga' and 'Cheat India', he has won the hearts of many.

Sukhwinder, who was recently in Mangaluru to perform at a college fest, spoke to Surupasree Sarmmah, while he relished the Mangalurean fish curry and rice. 

'Chaiyya Chaiyya' from ‘Dil Se…’ gave you the much-needed popularity...

I agree that my launch in the industry was very good. I must consider it good luck. I got to work with A R Rahman, Gulzar, Mani Ratnam, Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan. The component of the song was excellent and so was the picture composition. It was a learning experience.  

Next was the internationally popular 'Jai Ho' from the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'... 

I had worked with Rahman for Hollywood projects like 'Inside Man' directed by Spike Lee, a Kutchi folk song for a Steven Spielberg's film starring Denzel Washington, an English play called 'Bombay Dreams', Deepa Mehta's ‘Water’, and 'Monsoon Wedding' before. Over the years, I have prepared myself to sing any kind of songs that the film demands.

When I first heard Jai Ho', I was excited. Rahman didn't tell me that the song was for Hollywood. After a week of recording, I got a message from him saying that the song was for 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The song was a hit all over the world and we were extremely thrilled. 

‘Isaaqbaazi’ from the movie ‘Zero’ is becoming a mass favourite...

The song is very peppy. Salman and Shah Rukh Khan's presence make the song even more special. The narration of the song given to me by director, Anand L, was very simple. He just told me that it’s a dance number and a song celebrating friendship. I executed just that. It feels good that people are enjoying the song. 

What is it like performing in front of a young crowd? 

For me, it is not about targetting the youth; my motive is to entertain everyone. I don’t prepare myself for a specific group of people. If music is good, it is liked by everyone. I sang ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ almost 15 years back, but the youngsters today still love it.  They also like songs from the 70s. So, we can’t decide good music based on one’s age.

Do you think youngsters today have enough knowledge about music? 

What I have noticed is that youngsters have good technical knowledge. However, they should also train themselves for what an original melody can do without modification. They have tremendous potential to make good music with various musical techniques but they also do the same as a natural artiste.  

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

I will be singing a few songs for the Salman Khan-starrer ‘Bharat’. Music directors Vishal-Shekhar have composed some beautiful tracks for this film.