After a decade, India's first all-boy band, Band of Boys, is back with a satirical track Ungli. Sudhanshu Pandey, the force behind the reunion, chatted with K Bhardwaj
At a time when leading bands are splitting apart, here comes good news for music aficionados. Band of Boys, India’s first all-boy band popularly known for track Meri Neend, has reunited almost after a decade. Sudhanshu Pandey, who quit the group to pursue career in acting, has joined hands with other two boys, Karan Oberoi and Chaitanya Bhonsle. “I had to move out of the group because I was losing out on acting assignments. Karan too was an actor but his goal was to become a singer. But things were always cordial between us. We have been friends all the years and knew that this comeback would happen someday. It’s a natural progression to get together. Since I am more settled now than before, I can handle things differently. Also, technology has improved in one decade. You don’t have to be available all the time. Music can be composed and recorded on phones and computers,” says the musician cum actor. Though Pandey was busy with films, he kept trying his hands on music. “I sang a song Soniye in Dus Kahaniyaan. I also sang four tracks for Alibagh, a film by Sanjay Gupta, which never saw light of the day. I wish I had pioneered both music and acting the way Farhan Akhtar did. Once a person gets into music, it’s impossible to detach from it. You cannot take music out of him,” he says adding that the band existed for three years. “We saw the popularity which most of the bands have only dreamt so far. We performed at packed stadia and experienced huge fan following. People were missing our melodies so we are back with a bang.
The Band of Boys has recently released a satirical song Ungli. “It inspires people to vote. It is a very tongue-in-cheek and catchy song that the youth can relate to, and essentially what our band stands for. The song’s lyrics take a satirical dig at the recent political faux-pas like connecting rape with eating chowmein and the fun in riding on roads full of potholes,” he says.
Pandey believes that the band will revive the popularity without changing the genre of their music. “We have always done melodies and do not intend to venture into new genres like EDM. I think melodies are timeless and rests are just like waves,” he says.
They have also prepared next track, a romantic melody. “We have given this track to a film. People will fall in love with it instantly. We will also feature in it,” he says.Pandey is doing couple of projects in south. He is on his way to become a bankable villain.
“It’s good that people perceive me differently there. After Billa II: The Beginning, a lot of filmmakers have offered me negative characters. In next two Tamil films, I am playing villainous roles,” he tells us.