His voice is intoxicating and also earthy and errr…silken too. Some more adjectives can be added but what to do when you are describing an artist like Mohit Chauhan. The “Dooba Dooba” singer is going to be town on June 3 when he performs at Phoenix Marketcity in Whitefield. It has been some time since Mohit last performed here but he hasn’t forgotten how discerning the Bengaluru crowd is. So what is he bringing in the kitty, I ask him on phone? “Some songs from my albums and films. And of course I will do ‘dooba dooba’. It is not my song anymore but people’s song,” responds the Mumbai-based singer adding that it is always a pleasure to perform in the city that has been known to be the hub of independent bands.
Mohit had a band too. Indipop band Silk Route in 1998 with which he arrived on the music scene and delivered ‘Dooba Dooba’. It had a video so powerful that we remember it to date. Perched on a yellow ambassador half-submerged in water, musicians Mohit Chauhan, Kem Trivedi and Kenny Puri made this melody immortal. “I always say a song is like a ship. Once it has been made, you let it sail. Let the waves take it in the direction it wants to. After a song comes out it doesn’t remain yours.” True for a song which has a soul and the singer has several of them to his credit.
Every song Mohit sung became a rage. “Gunchaa” (Pati Patni Aur Woh), “Khoon Chala” (Rang De Basanti”, “Tum Se Hi” (Jab We Met), “Masakali” (Delhi-6)….the list is endless. But it was “Rockstar” which became a game changer. “It was the most amazing milestone of my career. I got to work with Imtiaz (Imtiaz Ali), a dear friend and I got to work with Rahman Sir who let me sing all songs in the film. In just one film, I got to sing songs of various genres. I saw these songs grow in front of my eyes.”
Born and brought up in Nahan in Himachal Pradesh, Mohit studied masters in geology. Music wasn’t thought of as a career but acting was. He even attended a few workshops by National School of Drama. “I studied science. And I had a group of friends who were heavily into music and theatre. I got it from there. I loved music and films. One of the most iconic films ever made was ‘Sholay’.”
Last year Mohit won accolades for “Matargashti” (Tamasha) and this year with “Sachi muchi”, it seems he is headed towards the same direction. A fun romantic duet with another ace singer Harshdeep Kaur for Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer has a Haryanvi flavour. And Mohit can’t stop raving about it. “It is a beautiful song. It is a good melody, a great groove and amazing lyrics and has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar who gave me a song like “Mujhe Bhula Diya”. This is another song that people don’t let me go without singing. And then I love singing for Salman Khan. I sang in “Ek Tha Tiger” and “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”.
The present times may not be good for independent albums but with Hindi film industry opening up to new sounds and styles, artists like Mohit are happy. “The scene is exciting. We are getting to sing different kind of songs. Musicians are ready to experiment.”
The self-taught musician who composes and even pens lyrics (and when he gets stuck, he seeks his wife Prarthana’s help) says his skill as a composer doesn’t come in between him and playback singing. “When you compose a song, you live with it but with playback it is different. I get surprised when I go to the studio. And it excites me that something new awaits me.”
****
The Hindu is a media partner for the event which will also feature local talent from Bengaluru such as Bangalore Singers Group (BSG) headed by Satya Prakash. He will be joined by magicians, jugglers and dancers from Team Hot Shots.
This will be followed by a stand-up comedy act with Vijay Ishwarlal Pawar, also known as VIP.
For details about the concert call 9650337367 or 8884908889. You can also participate in a contest and win free passes to the concert by logging on to www.thehindu.com/thcontest.
