For Babul Surpriyo, love is in the air! No, we're not implying that the singer has fallen in love.
It’s just that he’s recently come out with an album of love songs along with a host of other singers and Babul is hopeful that the audience will welcome the new venture whole-heartedly. CS got chatting with the singer about music, love and even his acting aspirations!
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Co-existence: Need of the hour
I feel Bollywood and non-film albums should co-exist. Many playback singers, including me, have been lucky to make a name for ourselves with our songs. But what about newcomers? They are not going to be readily absorbed into playback singing. They need an avenue and non-film albums can be that avenue for them. Instead of getting angry with the scenario, we need to think of ways to co-exist. I, as a playback singer, should be ready to accept the challenge that it poses. To make a change, you have to be a part of the change. T-20 did not change cricket into football. It created its own space within the laws of the game. So maybe, instead of coming out with an album of eight songs, we need to come out with a single song a year and hope people will like it.
Love comes with an expiry date
A love song fits into any situation. Today, if there is a song that I have sung for a heroine, it will sound right even if I sing it to my dog! (laughs) My all time favourite love song is Annie’s Song by John Denver. Another song I love for its confidence is Madonna’s song in Evita where she says You must love me. Among Hindi numbers, I like Jab koi baat bigad jaye and Rafi’s Din dhal jaye. I believe love comes with an expiry date. But an artist should always be in love. It doesn’t have to be with a woman always. Rabindranath Tagore has written such beautiful songs about nature, but they sound like love songs.
Bitten by the acting bug
I have always addressed genuine desires in my life. I’m very clear that I want to sing the best of songs composed by the best of composers. And now, I definitely want to act. I’ve been an avid film watcher since childhood. I went to Kolkata to sing a song for a Bengali film, but the director liked my body language and asked me to be the hero of the film. I have had three fantastic opportunities in Bengali films to act. Now I would love to do comedy or negative roles in Bollywood too. Most of the reviews I got in Kolkata said that I should act. If a good role comes my way, I’m even willing to do it for free. That’s because it’s an urge I’m responding to.
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