Armaan Malik — Singer, composer, songwriter & teen-throb — gets tuneful with t2oS
You turned 22 on July 22 in Calcutta.
How was it?
Yes, when the year and birthday date matches its called a champagne birthday! I didn’t know about this but was told so. So yeah, I spent my birthday this time in Calcutta and it was a working birthday. After we finished a show, the band and I had a party in our room.
Last year, I had spent my birthday in London. I was doing my first world tour and I had just turned 21. So it became legal to do ‘illegal’ things. (Grins)
So, what was the first ‘illegal’ thing you did?
Well, I went to a casino (Palm Beach Casino in London) and partied there. Previously, whenever I used to go to a casino they used to throw me out because I was underage! I don’t understand much about cards, just know blackjack kar ke ek game hai. I don’t like gambling, but mujhe ek feel lena tha.
What have you been up to?
There has been quite a lot of things in terms of music. At the start of the year, I had the release of this song called Aaja na Ferrari mein, then I did The goggle song in Mubarakan that was a duet with Sonu Nigam.
You had told us last year that you look up to Sonu Nigam. Must have been a fan moment for you...
Yes, it was a big thing for me. With Sonu Nigam I always get the jitters! I have become a little comfortable as he is like a friend now, but pehle pehle main bahut darta tha. He is the only guy I actually get nervous speaking to. That moment I was just in awe of him.
Did you get any compliment?
He really likes how I am not changing my voice to suit other singers. Many times it happens that people ask you to change your voice to sound like this singer or that singer, but Sonu Nigam likes how I play with everything and everyone’s best parts yet deliver in my own voice. He likes that I am trained in Hindustani classical, and that is an important thing for any singer.
Talking about voice, tell us one thing, do most singers use Auto-Tune?
Ya, everyone does. I do, he does. Concept thoda galat hai logon ke mind mein. They think Auto-Tune is a wrong thing. Actually it is a thing that everyone uses taaki sab pitch mein aaye. See, no one is God-gifted perfect, 80-85 per cent hota hai, jo next 15 per cent hota hai that is corrected by Auto-Tune. But there are some people who don’t sing properly and 90 per cent depends on it.
Your latest song, Tere bin nahin lagda, crossed one lakh views in a day! Why did you choose this track?
I did this song as a tribute to the legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and I wanted to sing this song for a long time. I had first heard the song in Bend It Like Beckham and had fallen in love with it. And I don’t think I could have found a better day to do this than on his 20th death anniversary (August 16). I did it in a simple manner with vocals and piano and am happy to get a lot of praise for this one. Honestly, getting one lakh views in just a day, that too organically, is a big thing for me! I want the song to be loved and I don’t care about the views it has, but abhi kya ho gaya hai industry mein ke everyone is bothered about views. For me, just to know that so many people have actually seen my video without me doing anything is a great feeling and I take pride in this as it is real love and not bought love.
Romantic songs suit your voice so well. We loved your mixed tape songs Main agar kahoon/Bol do na zara and Tose naina/Tum jo aaye. Which other songs would you like to do as unplugged versions?
You know some people tell me, ‘Aap sirf romantic gaatey ho, kuch aur nahin karte.’ Hence I did The goggle song, then I did Aaja na Ferrari mein to tell people that this is also Armaan Malik. But to be honest, mereko dil se jo gaane ko mazaa aata hai na, woh sirf romantic gaane hain. I feel... when you sing a romantic song, aap raho ya na raho, the song stays on.
The other two songs that I want to sing is Humein tumse pyar kitna by Kishoreda (Kumar) that I have always loved. Then Deewana hua badal by Mohammed Rafi saab. Not many people will imagine me singing these kinds of songs.
Since you brought up Deewana hua badal and it’s raining in Calcutta, tell us what your monsoon playlist would be...
To be honest, mujhe rain achha nahin lagta. I have sung a song called Mujhko barsaat bana lo (Junooniyat) but I don’t like rain at all (laughs). I can see rain from the window, but I don’t like getting drenched, neither do I love the muck! Photo kheenchne ke liye and mood capture karne ke liye thik hai. That’s all.
But my playlist would include Mujhko barsaat bana lo, Saawan aaya hai, Deewana hua badal, then (sings) Kahan se aaye badra, then Rimjhim gire saawan....
Every Bolly movie now has a party song that is a recreation. As a musician what’s your take?
Abhi main pakk gaya hoon iss se. Even the normal public feels the same I guess. You don’t know, just wait for the other recreations that are coming out in the next four months. So just brace yourself. And usme se main kuch gaa sakta hoon. So get ready (smiles)!
Among the recreated songs which is your fave?
Since I am a little self-centric, I would say what I have sung, which is Tumhe apna banane ka (Hate Story 3), then Pyaar manga hai, then I loved Har kisi ko nahin milta (Boss) sung by Arijit Singh, it was one of the best recreations, I feel. The whole mukhra is very well done.
An old party song that you would like to recreate?
(Hums) Aaja aaja main hoon pyar tera (Teesri Manzil).
We are well into the second half of the year. What has been your personal high and low of 2017?
Personal high would be that I got one month to go out to New Zealand and spend my vacation. I have been working for three years continuously and I am just 22 and getting one month without music, laptop, without anything, was a real big personal high! Then I got to spend a lot of time with my family also — my dog Handsome, my brother Amaal who was busy making songs….
Personal low would be many songs that I had sung rough versions of, but they never released in my voice. This song Baarish from Half Girlfriend I had sung this song originally also… Jubin Nautiyal had sung it too, but the Ash King (version) went. It is a beautiful song and I had sung it well, but it finally didn’t come out in my voice and not many fans know about this.
So, ya, kabhi kabhi hota hai ki you give your best, but due to some factors it didn’t release and I felt bad about it. 2017 thoda sa slow gaya, but then personally I wanted to take it easy as I overwork myself and at my age I wanted to enjoy also.
Talking about vacations, which is your fave holiday destination?
Top pe it’s always Dubai. It is just two hours away from Mumbai too! Then the first time I went to London I fell in love with it and on top of that I was performing at Wembley Arena for the first time (September 2016) and I was the youngest to perform there! Then it would be New Zealand, my mum’s side of the family stays there.
Your skywalk video in NZ gave us the creeps! Aren’t you scared of heights?
Yes! I have acrophobia (fear of heights) and I wanted to remove that fear.
So did you jump?
No no, itna bhi guts nahin hai, nahin toh ‘Main rahoon ya na rahoon’ wala ho jata! I did the skywalk bit but did not jump from there, which many people do.
What are your other fears?
I also have a fear of rats! The moment I see them, kuch ho jata hai. Cockroach toh you can still kill with a book, but not a rat! Once I was going to my dadi’s house and outside her house I just stepped on something that was wriggling and when I lifted my foot I saw a rat... I freaked out so much!
If we catch you watching Netflix, what would you be watching?
Narcos, it is my fave show! I haven’t started Game of Thrones because I am scared since there are so many seasons. But I guess I will see it when I have time. Suits I have watched and now I have to start House of Cards.
We have learnt that you can cook…
I can make a proper breakfast, so jo bhi meri girlfriend hai ya wife banegi, breakfast in bed toh sorted hai (blushes). I make very good scrambled eggs. Kisi din khana, pata chalega!
Your pet Handsome is super cute! Who got him home?
None of us loved dogs except for Amaal. Dad was okay with it, mom didn’t like at all and I was scared of dogs then! Amaal wanted a dog for a long time and one day he just got one home and I held him in my arms and fell in love! He was less than two months old when he came and his colour changed when he grew up. Now he is massive!
The name Handsome came from a friend of my dad’s. She had come to see him and had just commented, “Such a handsome dog!” And from then he became Handsome Malik because we also wanted to call ourselves Handsome (smiles). He has 27k followers on Instagram and he is on Twitter too, but he doesn’t tweet, he barks and that’s his paw-ficial account!
What’s in store for your fans in Calcutta?
My fans should expect more Bengali songs. I have sung Aami je ke tomar, Dhitang dhitang from Dev’s movie, and Ele chupi chupi for Soham.
What are the Bengali words you know?
Fatafati. I keep seeing this word on my Twitter where fans say: “Dada fatafati gaya aapne.” And I feel it’s really funny when you guys say “jol khabo”. How can you khabo jol?! (Smiles) But words aside I love paturi maachh with mustard. I love mustard sauce and everyone thinks I am stupid because back home no one likes mustard.
— Pramita Ghosh
Pictures:
B. Halder
