Half Girlfriend singer Rahul mishra, who recently released his single Dil De Huzoora, speaks with SHAlINI SAKSENA about his journey as a singer thus far
Where does the creativity and or potential lie for a musician — film or an independent songIJ
Creativity lies within each artist as does the potential. But in Bollywood, sometimes the artists have to follow the guidelines that are given to them and work within the limits. In an independent song, there is no such thing. Here, an artist can do his kind of music and put in his emotions. This can be easily conveyed through his song since there are no restrictions.
You jammed with Hariharan for your latest single. How did that happenIJ
It was to seek blessings for my latest single Dil De Huzoora which has somewhat recreated the music of the 90s indie pop. It was the time when almost all songs were melodious. People still remember the songs of that period. Hariharanji created some great music during that time. I just wanted to sit with him and make him to listen to this song; it was my way to show my respect to such a great musician.
I understand that you have written this song as well.
No. The song is written by Kunaal Vermaa. I have just sung the song.
Does this song send a messageIJ What is the inspiration behind itIJ
There is a story behind how this song came into being. It was late one day — 2:30 am — when an idea came to create a song that reminded people of the 90s. I bounced the idea by with Kunaal. Within an hour he sent me something which was brilliant. The story in the song is about a heart break. We all fall in love but not everyone ends in happily ever after. That is what the song is about. It is a song that finds a connect with everyone.
Why create indie pop of the 90sIJ
I grew up listening to songs by laxmikant Pyarelal; their songs were melodious and brilliant. When I was older, I was inclined towards creating music that was on these lines. It was something that happened organically.
Tell us about your musical journey.
I belong to Allahabad. My mother died when I was young. My father made me join music classes. When I sat there, I loved the singing and decided to start singing. There were guitar classes too. I took that up as well. I was so taken-in that I started learning classical music. After college, i did a job was one year. But my heart lay in music. I asked my father for a year to follow my passion and came to Mumbai and met a few people from the industry. I was lucky that work start coming my way.
What does success mean to youIJ
As long as I am able to do what I want to do; that is how I would define success.
Is there a formula for a hit songIJ
If you took up five-six songs and listened to them carefully, the song that you are able to retain is a hit. There are times when you listen to a song once and hum it for days on end. Then there are songs that you listen again and again and one can’t remember the words. This happens because of two things — melody and words. If one or both find a connect with the listener, that song is retained forever.
What does music mean to youIJ
Music is a way of life for me. I can’t imagine a life without it.
What do you do when you are not creating musicIJ
I watch movies. I like to spend time on my own. I also listen to music by other artists. My latest favourite is Dil Diyan Gallaan.