Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; September 9, 2016)

"I can't live without music. When I started singing at the age of 21, my life revolved around music. It’s an integral part of my life. I am glad Indian films are musical, and they involve song and dance. I always wanted to be an actor who could sing,” says Ayushmann Khurrana.

While he is currently busy with Meri Pyaari Bindu, Bareily Ki Barfi and Manmarziyan, the actor-singer ensures that music never takes a backseat. He recently finished his multi-city tour in the US and Canada. “This was my first multicity US tour. I think the enthusiasm of Indians who stay away from the country is phenomenal. They are connected to the country through Hindi film music,” he says.

Ayushmann is set to release a new single next week. “This is the first time I am collaborating with my brother (Aparshakti). We composed and wrote the song together. Ayesha Sharma (Neha Sharma’s sister) is in the video and Pradeep Sarkar has directed it. We shot it in Georgia. It’s a love song in Hindi and Punjabi,” he says.

Ask the singer if he got a chance to meet any international artistes while in the US, and Ayushmann says his schedule was too jampacked. “But I’m glad I got to explore the underground music scene while in Canada. When I was in Toronto, I started jamming with a Canadian rapper on the streets at 3 am. I sang Kishore Kumar’s Humein Tumse Pyaar Kitna to his rap,” he recalls.

So is Ayushmann interested in collaborating with an international artiste? “I would love to work with an international rapper. But having said that, the more rooted you are, the more connected you are with the audience. Legends like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia or Pandit Shivkumar Sharma are connected to their roots, and that’s why they are legends. I want to explore Indian folk sounds and incorporate them in my music,” he says.