It was thought that his soft voice would only suit songs like Tum Se Hi (Jab We Met), Masakali (Delhi 6), but Mohit Chauhan broke that stereotype by becoming the rock singer character's voice in Rockstar. In an interview, he talks about his latest song from Bombay Velvet, jazz, folk music and competition. Behroopia is all trumpets and sax.

Is this your first jazz number?
The film Bombay Velvet is set in the 1950s and 60s, so Anurag (Kashyap) wanted music that is set in that era. At that time, in addition to rock n roll and western bands getting popular in Mumbai and Kolkata, restaurants and clubs also played a lot of jazz music. So through Behroopia, they wanted to convey the romantic chemistry between Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. Amit Trivedi, who has composed the soundtrack, asked me to approach the song in a relaxed way and yet capture the romance of it.

You became Ranbir's voice in Rockstar, singing all the songs for him. Do you miss that trend of the 70s-80s, where only one singer would be identified with an actor's voice?
The connection with Ranbir has been there for many years now. I sang for him in many films and it is good that people find my voice matching such a brilliant actor. I do agree that when a singer sings all the songs for one actor in a film, the impact is much better. Even earlier, when Kishore Kumar sang for Rajesh Khanna, he was not limited to Khanna only. He did sing for other actors. So now, if an actor has other vocalists singing for him, we have to be cool.

You started off as a music composer with Silk Route. Is it still hard to market your own music?
I not only composed music for my albums, but also for the film Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh. It is hard work - composing a song for a film and showing it to makers - 50% of the tune remains the same and the remaining 50% is changed to suit the script. It was a long process before your own independent music could reach out to audiences. Now that we can upload songs on the internet and get audiences' reaction, the process is faster.

Many male playback singers today are doing your kind of songs. Comment.
Like there are many singers and music composers entering the market everyday, I also see that there are many Bollywood films made everyday. I am not bothered because I get my share of songs. I have been singing for 10-12 years. Every film has 4-5 songs and if it is divided between talented singers, I have no complaints. It is good to have competition because that helps you survive in the long run. I also feel that only when you have something 'special' - an expression and voice to connect with a song - you will survive longer here.

You belong to the small town Nahan in Himachal Pradesh. Did it influence your early interest in music?
Apart from Kishore Kumar, the textbook singer for my musical influence early in life, I was impressed with my state's folk music. In fact, folk music is what identifies each region and so I was introduced to it early on in my life. My love for folk music also earned me a chance to be an ambassador for the World Voice Programme of the British Council in India. I promote music among kids in schools in India and abroad. I introduce them to folk music here and abroad. This arouses the curiosity of different cultures among countries globally. I also enjoy old Hindi film music and am impressed with good lyrics. I never say yes to songs that have lewd lyrics or double meaning.

What's keeping you busy?
After my previous album Fitoor in 2009, I am currently working on another album. I am planning to release the songs as singles. I am also collaborating with African musicians on some Hindi and African songs. Hopefully, I will also compose music for films in the future.

You have a good collection of caps!
Yes, I fancy my caps a lot. I pick up a cap anywhere I go. It keeps me warm and I can also hide under them when I want to. My eyes and expressions get hidden when I wear my cap.