After an extremely successful debut, Aap ka Suroor, and a dud of a remake, Karzzz, singer-actor Himesh Reshammiya is back, this time as a radio jockey in a film titled Radio.
“In Radio, I play Vimesh, a 34-year-old guy who solves others’ problems on the radio, while he himself undergoes turmoil in his life with his wife deciding to divorce him. I think the audience will relate to the character,” says Himesh. The Mumbai-ite has donned a new look for the film set for release this December. Gone are the famous cap and long hair, his trademark in the industry. Besides the new look, he has a new voice! Though the singer-composer refuses to comment on the rumours about his throat surgery, he says, “The two voices are distinct.
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You can’t make out just by listening that they belong to the same person — the song ‘Man Ka Radio’ is in my new voice while ‘Zindagi Jaise Ek Radio’ is in my usual nasal tone. But the point is both voices are mine.” So, which is his favourite? “Well, definitely ‘Man Ka Radio’ in my new voice. It is also my 500th song and I plan to celebrate the occasion soon with the bigwigs from the industry,” he says.
Though he made his mark in Bollywood first as a composer, Himesh now says acting is closer to his heart. “I am keen to prove myself as an actor. Singing and composing come naturally to me but acting does not. I have worked at it and attended several workshops to learn the craft.”
The media and a section of Bollywood have always made fun of his looks and singing style. Does it not affect him? “I take it in my stride. I think 95 per cent of people love me; that is why they make my work such a hit. I hope to win over the remaining 5 per cent,” he remarks.
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Himesh admits “ Karzzz was a mistake”. “I have learnt from my mistakes and unlike Karzzz which was a remake, I look forward to doing original work and playing realistic characters in my forthcoming films starting with Radio. Next in the pipeline are Kajra Re directed by Pooja Bhatt, a new love story by John Mathew Mathan, and Ishq Unplugged, a Studio 18 production directed by Swapna Joshi.”
Media reports suggest that the release of Radio might coincide with Amitabh Bachchan’s Paa. “I am confident about Radio and my role in it, as it is very believable. Unfortunately due to the strife between the film distributors and producers, we couldn’t release it earlier; and now we can’t postpone it further,” responds Himesh. He signs off stating, “It is a matter of pride that my film is releasing along with a legend’s. I have great respect for Mr. Bachchan and wish him all the best.”