Singer Mohammed Irfan takes time out from his hectic recording schedule to talk about his special gig at Gaana Bollywood Music Project. By Angela Paljor
Have you hummed to the tune of Banjaara (Ek Villain), Muskurane (Citylights) or even the newer version of Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (The Unwind Mix)IJ Playback singer Mohammed Irfan who has crooned these romantic numbers, has been a part of the Asia’s largest Bollywood music festival, Gaana Bollywood Music Project since its first edition in 2016. “It’s like a musical carnival — starts in the afternoon and goes on till late in night. Thus, musically it’s really enlightening as it provides a platform for numerous artists,” shares Irfan while taking a break from his recording.
The first two editions of GBMP in Delhi and later in Mumbai garnered over 80 million digital eyeballs and over 50,000 festival fans. This season will witness Tarsame Mittal and his crew curating stage acts that have never been seen before where there are over 50 performers on two main stages. Even the installations are going to be larger than life and the eclectic F&B experience has been curated keeping in mind the family audience in Delhi. GBMP fans will see a collaborative mix of Bollywood Punjabi, Hip Hop, Sufi, Romance, Folk, Funk and Pop, making this the only complete multi-genre Bollywood music ensemble ever.
The 33-year-old artist will be performing a special gig along with Divya Kumar and Shefali Alvares. “The three of us work as a band. We have great chemistry together, with no issues of ego which makes it fun to work together. And musically the three of us have different styles which makes our collaboration even more interesting.” This season the trio will be performing a medley with songs they haven’t sung under a specially curated act called BollyYouth, which is the brain child of Mittal. “The three of us are a part of TM Talent Management. It was his idea to bring us together and we found it really interesting once we hit it off during our jamming sessions,” shares Irfan who made his debut by providing background vocals for AR Rahman in Mani Ratnam-directed 2010 film, Raavan.
For Irfan, Delhi always holds a special place. “The people are so warm and are so excited which in turn energises the artists who are performing on stage. Also, performing with my friends will definitely enhance the whole experience,” shares Irfan who feels that this festival is the first of its kind in India that concentrates purely on Bollywood. “We have been working with numerous music composers and have collaborated with other artists. But such festivals bring us together, giving us a chance to perform on a single platform — more like a two-day musical holiday.”
But Irfan finds it unfair to say that music has been contained in Bollywood because “it’s not realistic. Music is a large field. And Bollywood is a genre in itself, where music is a part of it. However, at the same time music has its own place independent of Bollywood. GBMP separates that part of music which is parallel to classical or Indie Pop.” Being a playback singer himself, he enjoys this celebration of music.
For Irfan, the only difference in being a part of a festival and a film is time. “In festivals you have a time period unlike films. One needs to be prepared with the proper check list, choose the best songs and being a part of the BollyYouth project, we have to make sure that the songs are relevant to the youth, ones that have a unique element.”
Born in Gangolli, Karnataka, Irfan completed his schooling at All Saints High School, Hyderabad. It was his teacher Ramachari who identified his talent and trained him in music. “Through all the ups and downs I have been able to come across great composers and artists. And the kind of response I got from the people has always been encouraging.”
Talking about his forthcoming ventures, he shares, “I recently recorded a song for the film Nirdosh directed by Subroto Paul and Pradeep Rangwani. The song, Saiyan Re is a duet with Palak Muchhal. There are few other projects that are lined
up but I am not allowed to disclose.” He is also a well known figure in the regional cinema — Tamil, Odia, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi. “Regional songs have always been exciting. Fortunately, there has always been a great response from the regional audience as well, especially the Bengali cinema.”
The festival will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium grounds on January 27 and 28.