TUlSI KUMAR is back with her latest song, Mere Papa, a tribute to her late father Gulshan Kumar. She tells PRAKRITI ROY about how the song shaped up and what it’s like to be from the T-Series family
Proudly carrying forward her family legacy in music, Tulsi Kumar has now come up with her latest single called Mere papa, which is dedicated to her father, Gulshan Kumar, a pioneer of the Indian music industry. “I don’t see it as a single but more as a tribute to him. The video features me and my sister Khushali and I’m sure the song will strike an emotional chord with listeners. It’s the most important song in my decade-long career,” an excited Tulsi says.
Telling you how the idea of the song first came to her, she says, “It was actually Sonu Nigamji’s idea to create a song like this one. Once he suggested, I got started on it with lyricist Manoj Muntashir and composer Jeet Ganguli.”
After giving a great number of hits like Tum jo aaye (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai), Hum mar jayenge (Aashiqui 2) and her latest blockbuster, Soch na sake (Airlift), Tulsi felt that it was time to do something for her father because of whom she got into music in the first place. Coming from Gulshan Kumar’s family, there was definitely a lot of pressure on her to perform well in music. She tells you, “Initially, when I started in 2006, there were a lot of expectations, probably. But I realised that it’s not a healthy way to go about my work. At the end of the day, it should be about the feedback I get. Ultimately, my connect with my fans is what gives me confidence.”
Tulsi has won not only lakhs of fans through her songs but also quite a few awards. But she says that it’s not the awards she’s after. “Awards definitely give you encouragement and boost your confidence. But, as I said, when fans appreciate you and applaud you, that’s the real adrenaline rush. Both go hand in hand,” she explains.
It is this confidence that made her sing the peppy dance number, Saiyyan superstar, which is very far from her comfort zone that lies in singing romantic songs. “With Saiyyan superstar, I broke my image and entered the peppy zone. Thankfully, it was quite well-received. I enjoy experimenting and exploring my versatility,” she says.
Talking about the recent trend of adapting older songs or singles in movies, Tulsi says, “These songs are taken in a film because the filmmaker wants that and it fits into the story. Having said that, I think it is actually a great thing. The Punjabi song Soch, great as it is, had a limited audience. But once a song like that comes in a Bollywood movie, it gets a very vast reach and a much bigger audience.”
Unlike many other artists in the industry, Tulsi has never been one to be in the midst of any ugly controversies. “Music should remain a creative field without any manipulation and animosity among fellow fraternity members. Artists are inherently pure and I feel they should maintain a good camaraderie between them. Controversies keep happening but only some are genuine. But I stay away from them and firmly believe that the music industry should be one big happy family,” she signs off.