This being the age of remixes and remakes, comes as no surprise that Suresh Wadekar’s Aye Zindagi Gale laga le song in Sadma is being recreated 30 years down the line. Twenty seven-year-old Suryaveer Hooja is all set to sing this number in Prague, a film by Ashish R Shukla.
“The original song was brilliantly sung and no artist can recreate that magic. I have only tried to add some elements to it to give it a new appeal. The melody, lyrics and essence of the song have not been tinkered with. I hope this generation relates to it,” Hooja says. The songs he adds, was offered to him by a director who was convinced that he had the depth of voice to catch the mood of this iconic song.
Hooja, a singer for seven years and heading a band Ehsaas, says he is a Kishore Kumar fan. “I was once singing Aye Zindagi… live and Shuklaji told me he was among the audience. He wanted me to sing this very song for Prague,” he recounts.
Hooja, however, is quick to point out that remixes don’t have many takers. “Almost everybody has grown up listening to Kishore Kumar songs. To replicate them in the 21st century with a western twist, doesn’t get a receptive audience. The song may be a chartbuster for a few weeks but fades away pretty soon. It is the original that always remain timeless,” Hooja admits.
The singer has made a place for himself in the fusion scenario. With modern musical instruments, this fusion has been perfected without compromising on traditional music. His rise in Bollywood has not been an easy one though. Recalling his initial years of struggle, he says that his journey started with a performance at an event organised by Café Coffee Day.
His break came way back in 2005 when he was given a chance to be part of an album by lucky Ali. Then came album offers for supporting singer by Shibani Kashyap and other artists.
“To sing professionally on stage is not easy. People don’t see it as a profession. For them it is more like a hobby,” Hooja says. Aye Zandagi...will be his first playback song for Bollywood