Ash King — a prominent voice of romance in Hindi film music — has been busy of late, not only in singing for Bollywood and making music for the independent scene. Born Ashutosh Ganguly to an illustrious family of musicians and brought up in England, Ash — besides lending his voice to many Bolly hits — has also recorded songs in Bengali and Gujarati recently, to pay homage to his roots. A t2 chat.

How has it been going for you workwise?

Good! The same old, but with new days and new people.

To be able to do what you love and get paid for it is perhaps the best thing in the world...

A man was once asked: ‘What is the definition of rich?’ He said: ‘If someone can’t pay you more to leave what you are doing, then that means you are rich.’ That is my truth too... no one can pay me more to leave what I am doing. What I am enjoying is working on my own stuff. I know the market is hungry for more, but I like working at this pace.

You just recorded a number for the Bangla film Amar Boss, featuring Rakhee. What were the highlights of that experience?

It is the first time I worked with (singer-composer) Anupam Roy. I had never thought he would call me because his music is so different from what I do. But when he did call me, I was quite excited and the song he had in mind was actually secondary to me. The main thing for me was working with him. The song (Hok start-up) was a challenge because it wasn’t really my zone at all. But I gave my best to it. The song is Anupam Roy’s baby... I have just lent my voice to it.

It was a fantastic experience being in the studio and getting to sing in Bangla... it felt very close to being home. It also felt like a masterclass workshop I got to attend with Anupam Roy.

And you have just paid tribute to your Gujarati roots as well by singing a song in the language...

I am half Bengali and half Gujarati and we are looking at two states on opposite sides of the country. Gujarat is definitely a huge part of my identity. The Gujarati spirit in me has its own story. I grew up playing the dholak in garbas and bhajans. My dad, even being a Bengali, used to sing in Gujarati. He also composed music. Most of my songs are in Hindi and to be able to connect back to some of my roots, whether by singing in Bengali or Gujarati — no matter what the film is, no matter how big the project is or how many names are attached — is a privilege for me. Being born and brought up in England, it makes me feel accepted by my roots to be called to sing these songs.

Does anyone still call you Ashutosh or is it Ash for everyone?

Well, everybody is invited to call me Ashutosh (smiles). The only reason ‘Ash King’ happened was to make it easier for people of different languages to pronounce my name. The reason why we Bengalis have a
‘daak naam’ is because we have such long names that our families feel the need to shorten them. So the whole concept of daak naam is quite relevant here, but if someone has the patience or ability to say ‘Ashutosh’, then I am all for it.

You keep travelling the world for your stage shows and studio recordings. What is home for you right now?

When I am not doing all of that, I am just in my bed sleeping, wherever that is. All my time is spent in touring and recording. Even doing a stage show involves so many things like travelling, rehearsing... all of which takes a lot of time. After the lockdown, I decided that I am not just going to zip in and out of the city where I perform, wherever that is in the world. I want to try and see the city that I am going to.

Home is where my family is and even my family is all over the place, so I guess home for me is wherever I can get a good night’s sleep, which sounds quite sad but that is the truth of my life currently.

It has been 15 years since you recorded your first Bollywood song — Dil gira dafatan for Delhi-6, with A.R. Rahman. Does it still feel surreal getting such a huge start and then going on to sing some memorable songs in such a short span, most of which still dominate playlists?

Yes. There are two reasons why it still feels surreal. One is that I have always had this kind of an imposter syndrome where I never actually grasped what or who Ash King is for other people... because these are people who I have never met. But they know of me... they know of the songs I have sung and they know details about me, but I don’t know anything about them. I am overwhelmed by the genuine admiration for my work and I don’t think I will ever be able to comprehend that.

The other thing is that as more time passes, I realise how much of an impact those songs have had on people. When a song releases, it may do well then, but its overall impact can only be felt 10 years later. When I do live shows, for example, I sing my songs, but I also sing other people’s songs. Even today, most people still listen to KK’s songs... even an 18-year-old in college listens to a KK song. That is because his songs have carried through time. For me, to be able to be a part of Bollywood legacy with songs like Te amo (Dum Maaro Dum), I love you (Bodyguard) and many others, is an honour. I met someone recently who told me how much Te amo had meant to him when it came out, as it does even now. I have realised that no matter the background or age of listeners, there are certain songs that become almost cult classics across the board. To be part of that history... I don’t think you can achieve more than that in music. That, for me, is a huge thing.

Would you say that a lot of credit for your film career would go to A.R. Rahman first and then to Pritam?

Yes, of course. That is a fact. A.R. Rahman discovered me in England. I sang for him and it was Arijit Singh who actually recommended my name to Pritam. Pritam finalised my voice for Salman Khan. So I have to give credit to A.R. Rahman first and foremost, and then Arijit Singh and Pritam. And, of course, Salman Khan as well in a way.

Is there anyone whose feedback has counted a lot for you in your career?

I remember Pritam saying something to me once. I asked him: ‘What can I do to sing more songs?’ And he replied: ‘Ash, everyone has their strengths. One thing about you is that when it comes to romance, you are the best!’ That meant a lot to me. He probably won’t even remember he said it, but I definitely remember where I was standing. I remember everything when he said it to me... it meant so much to me at that time and even to this day.

Hindi film music — making to marketing, sound to shoot — has changed over the last few years. How has that impacted the kind of music you make now?

I think Hindi cinema is still in the controlling seat in terms of songs. But when I look at the independent music movement, I think that is more controlled by what works on social media and, therefore, people make songs for that audience.

With Bollywood, what you have to understand is that they are making a song that is going to be released a year-and-a-half later... there is no way they will know what the trend is going to be like such a long way down the line. But with independent music, I can compose a song today, make a video tomorrow and release it the next day. Being released very quickly, it has to fit in with what is being playlisted and what is trending.

I am doing both Bollywood and independent music. It is always exciting to have a bit of everything and not be one-dimensional. I am someone who is a fan of music as much as I am an artiste. I have always tried to sing a variety of songs in different genres because I want to explore something new with my voice every time.

What are the top three songs on your playlist now?

Die With A Smile (Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga). I am someone who listens to the same song a million times! One of them is Choo lo by The Local Train. It is not new, but that song just gets me every single time. I am also listening to Residuals (Chris Brown).