As Sukhbir makes a comeback with his ’90 s hit Gal Ban Gayee, he says he is here to stay
Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; September 12, 2016)

Often referred to as the Prince of Bhangra, Sukhbir’s Punjabi songs used to be a rage among young music aficionados in the '90s. However, like many other indipop artistes from that era, Sukhbir vanished from the country’s music scene and sunk in oblivion. “The pop industry in the country collapsed because people started downloading music instead of buying albums. As a result, most pop artistes disappeared. We didn’t have any option to release our music,” says the singer, who is back with a revisited version of his hit track, Gal Ban Gayee.

Fan love
The song also features Yo Yo Honey Singh. “I am a huge fan of Honey Singh and Badshah. I am glad I got to work with Honey on Gal Ban Gayee,” says Sukhbir. He is here to stay this time. “I am currently working on the remakes of a couple of my other tracks. I am also set to release some new tracks, which I have been waiting to do for a long time. Thankfully, the digital platform has become so strong that it gives us an opportunity to release singles,” says Sukhbir.

So what kept him busy? “I am a composer. I spent all that time making tracks. I also travelled the world for concerts.”

Expansion plans
Sukhbir wants to expand his repertoire. He is interested in venturing into the Hindi film industry. “Bollywood has not been easy to break into, as it wasn’t so welcoming of indie artistes in the past. The doors have opened now. I would love to compose and sing for films,” he says. Ask the singer how he rates today’s Punjabi tracks compared to those of the past, and he says, “Music is bound to evolve. The current trend is to take old songs and breathe new life into them. Today’s Punjabi music in films — London Thumakda from Queen — is doing quite well.”