Coffee with Kunal

We know of bad singers who are blissfully unaware of their lack of talent, but we didn't know that someone as gifted as Kunal Ganjawala could believe that he couldn't sing.

The man who has belted out hits like Humdum Suniyo Re and Channa Ve discovered his talent only in junior college, that too when he was being ragged by his seniors. But such has been Kunal Ganjawala's journey.



However, spiritualism has kept him sane during his sometimes insane struggle. Just back from Satya Sai Baba's funeral in Puttaparthi, Kunal chats about life's surprises:

Tuned in
I had never sung in my entire life (not in the bathroom, not even in my dreams), so it was a little embarrassing to oblige my seniors when they were bullying me to sing. Later on, my seniors goaded me to sing at college fests. I was singing for Malhar (St Xavier's college fest) when Poornima (didi) asked me to come to a studio the next day. I wasn't serious about pursuing a singing career till the moment I stepped into that studio. There were artists recording there and an orchestra sitting in one of the recording rooms. I saw Kumar Sanu, who's song I'd sung at the Malhar competition. As I walked back home, I knew what I wanted to do in life.

Hanging on
It was a tough ride thereafter. Many composers would just make me 'hang'outside their studios. After my graduation, I stopped studying and hung around with Nadeem Shravan for eight long years hoping that I would get a break. I remember seeing Sunidhi (Chauhan) waiting hours in the studio when she was a little girl. I wanted to work with people like Ranjit Barot. But that opportunity came only in 1997 and completely changed my life. He increased my price from Rs 2,000 to 5,000 saying that quality shouldn't come cheap.

Getting real
It was quite a struggle, but I have no regrets. People say that reality shows have made it easier for aspiring singers, but I don't think that these contestants are really serious in making a playback career. They prefer getting their 10 minutes of fame through their theatrics - be it touching the judges feet or giving a flower to a pretty judge. I'm sorry, making it big in the music world isn't all that easy.

Satya and Saathiya
I can only say that my faith has seen me through this struggle. It has been an overwhelmingly touching trip to Puttaparthi. It has been a huge loss for all of us who have been following him. Now we are eagerly awaiting the next Sai Baba to reveal himself.