Ankit Tiwari, who took tinsel town by storm with hits like Sun Raha Hai Na Tu and Galliyan, got onto the wrong side of fame after being accused of rape charges. In a candid chat with Karan Bhardwaj, he talks about his success and why some people couldn’t fathom his early recognition
Stage shows
I haven’t performed much in Delhi. I recently played at ASOM in Dwarka. Before this, I have only done two stage shows. Performing live is quite relevant for an artist. There’s a direct interaction with fans during live shows. You present your compositions and get immediate feedback.
Hardships
I struggled for six years. I believe that everyone has to face hardships in life. Though I have a musical family, nobody knew me because I never participated in any reality show. My father has a music group of his own and my mother sings devotional songs. Since childhood I used to sit with them during riyaaz. I was trained under Vinod Kumar Dwivedi. I am from Kanpur and hardly had contacts in Mumbai. When I first came to Mumbai, the city intimidated me. I was scared if I would ever be able to survive there. So one day, with whatever little exposure I could have, I decided to move back to Kanpur. But the music recordings, studio visits and my dreams kept haunting me. So I came back in 2007. I created jingles. There was a time when I was completely out of work. But I utilised free time by creating new compositions. I kept meeting people but couldn’t make much progress. In 2007, I met Pradeep Sarkar and presented a demo of my songs. He liked them and asked me to compose for his movie. But unfortunately that project never took off. Habib Faisal, who was writing the script for that movie called me three years later for Do Dooni Chaar. Then Tigmanshu Dhulia offered Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns. However, I didn’t get noticed as none of the songs got popular. Finally, I got the chance to prove my musical skills in Ashiqui 2 which was an instant hit.
life after Ashiqui 2
life got upside down after Sun Raha Hain. I started meeting people, getting recognition and attending award functions. People appreciated my work. Then Galliyan happened, which further strengthened my position. People were predicting if I was a one-song star. But I survived that phase.
love for instruments
Not many people know that I am originally a rhythmist. I love playing different instruments like tabla, drums and harmonium. I think instruments make you a complete musician. They make you understand the right pitch and notes.
Quest for versatility
After Sun Raha Hain and Galliyan, filmmakers are only giving me similar situations and sad songs. I would like to dabble in different genres. I think it’s too early to typecast me. In my forthcoming films, I would like to do some club numbers as well.
Belief in quality
I am dedicated towards music since childhood. I might do less music but I want to create memorable one. I love soulful melodies with good lyrics. lyrics help people connect with tracks. People have different styles, there are raps too which are getting hit. But that’s not my style.
Composer, not singer
People are admiring my voice but I am more obsessed about creating music. In fact, I never thought of singing. I always wanted to be the music director.
Forthcoming projects
I am making music for Ranbir Kapoor starrer Roy, Emran Hashmi starrer Mr X and also for Khamoshiyaan and Bhaag Johnny.
Hobbies and interests
I love watching horror movies. I used to play cricket a lot. In free time, I like to listen to KK, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Kunal, Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi.
Facing the bad times
(Ankit has been charged for raping his girlfriend and the court trial is on) It happens! Nazar lag gai! Jyada jaldi success mil jaaye to logon ko achha nahi lagta! (Misfortune struck me! When you attain stardom at an early age, people tend to bring you down). Thankfully, Bollywood supported me full strength. It gives you confidence when your colleagues stand by you. Mohit Suri, Mahesh Bhatt, Mika Singh, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Sidharth Malhotra, Bhushan Kumar, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh expressed their faith in me. I will clear everything about the issue in detail once the matter is shut in the court.