Namita Gupta in conversation with Bangalore's Kodava-pride Biddu, who with his quick wit and energy shares his highs and lows before he launches his debut book Made in India, this evening in the city

Bangalore-born, Biddu may have shifted base from India to London, but his words still resound in our hearts making it go Boom Boom. Biddu composed timeless pop-hits like Aap Jaisa Koi, Disco Deewanu00e9, Aao Na, Lekin Mera Dil and the oh-so-famous Dil Bolu00e9 Boom Boom. He also produced music for the international title Kung-fu Fighting and the Made in India album with Alisha Chinai.

Namita Gupta: We are happy you came out of your shell. What took you so long to come out of this closet?
Biddu: I worked on the Indian idol Abhijit's Sawant's music album, but I didn't want to take away the focus from him. I wanted to move from song writing to book writing. I spent the last three years in Spain working on my fictional book, which I brought to sell in India last February. But every publishing company offered me a deal to write my autobiography along with it. The first book, which I was actually writing, will come out in the next six months and this one's out first since the company preferred my autobiography.

NG: You were the name behind many melodious voices of the 80s. What do you see in a person that gives you the vibe that he/she has that voice to make it big?
B: A part of my job is to know or recognize a potential artist. I've worked with Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Alisha and Nazia. They all had potential and all they needed was good music to accompany them and recognition from the public.

NG: What's the entertainment in store for us at the launch of your book?
B: At the book launch there will be a question and answer session and I will read a chapter on how I met Feroz Khan during the making of Qurbani. I also plan to sing Aap Jaisa Koi and an English song that I really like. Of course I would be signing the books, which will be on sale.

NG: Tell us about Made in India...
B: It's a fast paced book about the adventures of my life. Written in a humorous tone, which one needs to often use, when writing about oneself. It's probably the easiest way to look back at life.

NG: Why would you want someone to pick up this book?
B: It's about me and my music. I'm hoping some young people would also like to give it a read, to draw inspiration on how to make it in the ever-growing music scene. In the West it is phenomenally difficult for young talent to come out, but if I could do it, someone else could do it too.

NG: One high point in your life?
B: I'm not the guy who gets totally excited by anything. When I went to Japan and collected the world song contest award, there were 20,000 people in the audience and my wife asked me why I wasn't jumping. I said, "It's all finished, now that I've won the prize." I never get too inflated or deflated. I get a bigger kick when my kids do something great. My son is 32 and my daughter 28.

NG: You don't look that old?
B: It's all to do with make up and lighting. That's why I don't come out in the daylight and that also explains my hiatus (laughs).

NG: One WTF moment?
B: I have always worked for my own company. When people ask me if I would like to work with them, I tell them WTF. Why would I want to share my profit margins with them.

NG: You're getting a Lifetime Achievement award in Mumbai on February 5 at the Annual Rock Awards 2009-10. How do you feel?
B: Yea, isn't it lovely? It's nice that it's not posthumous. You normally have to die before you get these 'lifetime awards' (laughs out loud).

Catch Biddu at the launch of his book, Made in India, Adventures of a Lifetime
On Thursday, February 4
6.30 pm onwards
At Reliance Time Out,
Cunningham Road
Call 4128 6025

Also Catch Biddu live in performance
At Bflat, Indiranagar
On Sunday, February 7
8.30 pm onwards
Call 4241 4000 Entry Rs 500