There have been several milestones in my career but the biggest turning point was my first playback song Main Tera Ashiq Hoon in the film Gumrah (1993). It was composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

But the film that changed my playback singing career was Border (1997). Whether it was the medium-paced patriotic duet with Sonu Nigam, Sandese Aate Hain, or the solo romantic song, To Chaloon, composed by Anu Malik, the songs opened the doors of Bollywood for me. Before this, music directors had felt that my voice was more suited for ghazals than playback singing. My playback singing career took off from there and I went on to sing in films including Veer-Zaara, Anwar, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Tanu Weds Manu.

Right now, a significant milestone in my career is the release of my light ghazal album Zikr Tera featuring both me and my wife, Sunali. This album is also my long overdue tribute to ghazal maestros Jagjitji and Chitraji. 

I have worked on a ghazal album after a gap of five years as I felt that today this genre is neglected. The main idea was to popularise this genre and make it more appealing for today’s youth. The fact that Bollywood music is ruling every chart is a disturbing trend as there is so much more to Indian music — folk, ghazals, Sufi, semi-classical and even devotional music. My next big plan is to launch my own music company by next year so I can promote ghazals and aspiring musicians. 

Over the years I have cherished releasing my solo albums as well as singing duets with Sunali. A particularly memorable one is with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Gulzar called Vaada. Even today I get several requests to perform from that album.

I have given my Bollywood career a small break and am prioritising on singing ghazals. Our music calendar in a month is jam-packed with six to seven ghazal shows across the world. I do my riyaz every morning and also while travelling. I learn and get inspired not just from fellow musicians but also legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan. Their dedication to work inspires me to take up challenging projects every time. I am happy in my own space doing live music shows where my fans come in huge numbers to listen to my songs.

(As told to Sushmita Biswas)