Sukhwinder Singh has the nation dancing to his tunes

Sukhwinder Singh has the nation dancing to his tunes

It’s a tough call for ace singer Sukhwinder Singh. He may have India dancing to his tunes but it’s not easy to order a dish of boiled vegetables at a restaurant famed for its meaty and authentic Frontier cuisine. But the singer who’s a fussy eater and a fitness freak isn’t about to give up easily.

In between the veggy hunt, Singh can’t stop talking about his new projects in Mumbai and Hollywood and also his famous friends and mentors, A.R. Rahman and Shah Rukh Khan. Today Sukhwinder is one of Bollywood’s busiest singers and he has delivered back-to-back hits in recent years. He’s flooded with offers and has a busy few months ahead.

Both Khan and Rahman figure in Sukhwinder’s upcoming projects and his world of melody. King Khan and Sukhwinder (the two have come a long way since Chaiyya Chaiyya in 1998 to Chak De in 2007) are once again working together in a film — only this time Sukhwinder will be acting in the movie and not just playback singing.

The budding actor refuses to reveal the movie’s title and director, but he promises that it’s a big project being produced by a well-known banner. “Nobody will question this move once they see me on screen as an actor,” he says, brimming with the same energy that’s always visible — and audible — when he’s singing.

Sukhwinder’s songs (from top) in Chak De and Tashan were chartbusters; A moment from the singer’s Huale haule track from the upcoming Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

It was Rahman who pushed Sukhwinder into the big time by virtually gifting him the magical Chaiyya Chaiyya number in Dil Se (1998). Few know this but before the singer met Rahman he had dabbled in Hindi playback and had even cut a Punjabi bhangra album, Munda Southall Da. However, his music hadn’t been noticed.

Now a collaboration with Rahman is already underway and the new music album will be ready for release by next March. “In this one I have explored Sufi music to the fullest — and I promise my fans that we will deliver world class music,” says Singh.

Also coming up in early December is the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, Aditya Chopra-directed Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. “I think the songs are going to be a huge hit, like all Shah Rukh-Sukhwinder joint ventures. As for Shah Rukh, I knew from the time that Rahman first introduced me to him that we would be a hit jodi,’’ he says.

Sukhwinder has been working overtime in recent months. Another film that’s waiting in the wings for a release is Mani Ratnam’s Ravana. “It’s an interesting project since I am singing for a man who is evil but has a smiling face in this film. That calls for diplomacy,” he says, laughing. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and will be released in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.

Ratnam and Sukhwinder go back a long way to the Dil Se days when they hit the jackpot with Chaiyya Chaiyya, a song that was voted by BBC as one of the most popular songs of all time.

Sukhwinder turns nostalgic when he thinks back to the period. “I had been hearing Thaiya Thaiya (which actually was the inspiration for Chaiyya Chaiyya) in dargahs even before I met Rahman. Thaiya Thaiya was written by Sufi saint, Pir Baba Bulleh Shah, expressing his love for God.”

“When I finally met Rahman and sang Thaiya Thaiya, he took me to the prayer room atop his house and asked me to rest for a while. I slept. After six hours, the orchestra was arranged and we were ready to record the song. At that point I didn’t even know that the song was going to be picturised on Shah Rukh for Dil Se,’’ he says. The singer believes the song was a hit because it was an expression of love and pain — which is the very essence of Sufism.

Sukhwinder with director Subhash Ghai; (Below) At A.R. Rahman’s Unity of Light Concert in Calcutta a few years ago

Other music directors, too, are all praise for Sukhwinder. Vishal Dadlani, who worked with Sukhwinder on Omkara and Tashan, says: “His knowledge of music and range of expression is fascinating. He can combine the madness of Chaiyya Chaiyya with the restraint of Chak De. We did Dil Haara and Omkara with him and nobody else could have sung those numbers like him.”

Though Sukhwinder has sung more than 100 playback songs for directors including Subhas Ghai and Mani Ratnam, he finds Deepa Mehta the strictest of them all. “She’s the hardest taskmaster amongst them all. I realised that when I shot for Water.”

But, as he digs into his platter of boiled vegetables, he throws in a gentle aside: “But unlike Ratnam Sir, not everybody has an ear for music.”

Most Bollywood directors are full of praise for Sukhwinder. Ghai and Sukhwinder have worked together in Yuvraj that’s scheduled to be released end- November. Sukhwinder has sung two numbers in the movie. “We are good partners in business and great friends. Sukhwinder’s songs have done wonders for my films,” says Ghai.

It could well be said that Sukhwinder was born to Bollywood with a veritable silver spoon in his mouth. Music director Pyarelal recalls how he along with his music partner, Laxmikant “brought up” Sukhwinder in Mumbai.

In fact, when Sukhwinder moved to Mumbai, he lived with Laxmikant and arranged music for the Laxmikant Pyarelal combine. “One result of his early initiation into the industry was that he made his debut in 1991 with our song, Aa ja Sanam, for a Madhuri Dixit starrer, Khilaaf. Sadly, the song went unnoticed. He worked with us for a while and then moved to Europe and the US,” recalls Pyarelal.

Dil Se gave Sukhwinder the unforgettable chart-topper Chaiyya chaiyya

When Sukhwinder returned to India in the late ’90s, he started working with Rahman and his career went into vertical takeoff. Says Pyarelal: “Sukhwinder has his own style of music. His voice quality is excellent and though his career took off with Chaiyya Chaiyya, he has done equally well in Chak De. This goes to prove that he’s versatile and has a great future ahead of him.”

Sukhwinder’s also very excited about his next Hollywood venture, a film being made by Hollywood director Sir Spike Lee. It was Lee who used Singh’s Chaiyya Chaiyya in his 2006 Hollywood blockbuster, Inside Man. “This time, Lee has promised that my music will be used all through the film — from the beginning to the end,” he says.

Apart from all this, Sukhwinder has also sung recently for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, again to a tune by Rahman. Unlike some others, Sukhwinder is all praise for the “professional” Hollywood producers and says that they allowed their directors and actors to work without pressure. “That is not what happens here,” he says thoughtfully.

Sukhwinder’s also one of the high- profile judges in the television show, Amul Star Voice of India2 (on Star Plus), compered by singer Shaan. But he has harsh words about reality shows. “I am against reality shows per se. Most of these shows play with the careers of young singers. I think TV censorship should be introduced so that we can stop the exploitation of young talent. I am part of it as I wanted to see if I could make a difference,” he says. As a judge, Sukhwinder tries to ensure that the participating youngsters do not quit studies and he does his best to encourage them even if they fail to deliver.

The boiled veggies have given away an important detail about Sukhwinder. The fact is that he’s a health-freak and visibly winces at the machchli kebab on his plate. “Please get me lots of ghas phus. You know, people hate steamed or boiled food because it is tastes so dull. Add a dash of lime and amchur and you can transform bland food easily. And yes, I know because I’m a good cook,” he says, ordering two glasses of chilled milk.

So what happens when Sukhwinder is travelling? “I try to avoid restaurant food as much as possible. Whether I’m in Paris or Vancouver for a show, I manage to get dal, roti, sabzi, chicken cooked by friends or even fans,’’ he says.

His daily routine too reflects his cautious lifestyle. Every morning a 45-minute session of cartoon watching is followed by drinking a glass of cold milk and exercising for two to three hours at the gym in his home. He works out on the treadmill and lifts weights while listening to his own music.

Leisure means chilling out with friends at home (often over a glass of red wine) or dating women friends. “Flirtation is a passion and I have at least 60 to 70 women friends but I’m not seriously involved with anyone,” he says, dodging the issue of marriage and relationships.

For company he has his two dogs, Jojo and Toby, who are, of course, avid fans and hang about when he is composing or singing his chartbusters. The chances are they’ll be listening to many more hits in the making.   

Chart busters

Dil haara
Tashan

A soft number, picturised on Saif and Kareena was an expression of love

Chak De India
Chak De India

The song became an anthem, even inspiring national fervour

Dard-E-Disco
Om Shanti Om

Picturised on Shah Rukh Khan, this song combines dance and pain — the very essence of Sufism

Omkara and Beedi jalai le
Omkara

Two chartbusters that were naughty, melodious yet robust

Chaiyya Chaiyya
Dil Se

The song was a take-off from Thaiyya Thaiyya written by a Sufi saint, Bir Baba Bule Shah. It was A.R. Rahman and Sukhwinder’s first venture together and a runaway hit