The Humma song singer Jubin Nautiyal makes light of a Bollywood song snub, talks about destiny, surging ahead despite setbacks and how he stays positive
Bryan Durham (DNA; December 18, 2016)

In a span of a week or so, Jubin Nautiyal goes from being just another musical face in Bollywood to one who should be on your radar for some time to come. First came Kaabil Hoon Main (the title song of Hrithik Roshan-starrer Kaabil) and then, the Humma song from Ok Jaanu, an iconic AR Rahman track revisited by Tanishk Bagchi and Badshah. Both songs have crossed eight million views in quick succession, a first for the singer since making it big with Bajrangi Bhaijaan’s Zindagi (Reprise). And he still has a couple more songs forthcoming from the Kaabil soundtrack.

It should seem like he’s had it coming, this quick rise to fame. He constantly gets compared to Arijit Singh. And only two years have passed since his debut with Sonali Cable’s Ek Mulaqat. Already, he has worked with the likes of Pritam Chakraborty, Jeet Gannguli, Arko Pravo Mukherjee and now, Rajesh Roshan. But he has a humble head on his shoulders.

We caught up a few nights ago — over the phone — the chat went on past midnight. The OKJ version of Humma was to release the next day and I wanted some questions answered. Because hey, it’s not everyday you have some association with an ARR track, right?

We talk about Badshah doing “his own thing” in the rap sections. He tells me that his parts have him “trying out a new tone” of his voice. And if you must know, he says he has “sung it very softly and intimately. He calls the original track a personal favourite, admits to not having seen O Kadhal Kanmani, from which OK Jaanu is adapted or heard the OST of the original Tamil film, but he admits having “heard a couple of songs from the album” and has called Rahman “a genius”. Well, we don’t disagree about that!

I ask about him wanting to work with Rahman — and ARR has “heard and loved the revisited track”, he cuts in — and he tells me he is certain, he will… soon. Tell him he’s built a name for himself in a short time — despite that forgettable run on X Factor India in 2011 — and he attributes it to hard work and luck.

But hey, we know it isn’t just that. How important is social media to him, I counter. “I’m learning the importance of it every day,” he shoots back. And surely, fans must write in? He says they do and write sweet things to him and send instant reviews on his released songs.

People have asked him about the constant comparisons to Arijit and he doesn’t shy away from acknowledging that. “I think people need comparisons to grade a singer... so if they are comparing me to the biggest singer of India..I am sure I am on the right path,” he says. Diplomatic as ever, this 27-year-old.

Without missing a beat, I bring up the fact that I’m aware that he was locked in to be the voice of the title song of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil for all of a year, before it went to Arijit in the end. I ask him if it hurts at all. But he says he’s made his peace with it and knows that “it happens all the time to everyone.” All he can do, he says “is just go and deliver my best.”

In fact, he doesn’t feel that bad about losing out because he has sung an unplugged version for MTV. He believes that “they wanted just one voice for the film as Ranbir is a singer in the film and hence, took that call”. Point out that Amit Mishra did Bulleya, and he says he doesn’t know what to say. “They (Dharma Productions) will answer that question better. I can just speculate,” he says.

It’s easy to let bygones be bygones because he has good work coming up. Kaabil has three more songs featuring his voice and he’s also singing Half Girlfriend’s main romantic track and is most kicked about working with director Mohit Suri on Half Girlfriend.

Ask him about lessons learned along his journey and he shoots back, “I’m doing things I had never imagined... and am working with people I had only seen on news and films...I think I am doing well.” He calls his voice and his guitar his best and only friends in the industry, adding that he’s a “loner kind of guy”, but admits he does have well-wishers.

For Jubin, whose guitar god is Carlos Santana, he says his dream is also to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali someday. One has to ask if he thinks he’s made the right career choice, given the competition and he says, “I was never in this to make a name...I was in this to touch lives and human emotions...it’s like a superpower to be able to control one’s emotions...

I argue that playback singing in Bollywood isn’t as glorious as it once was. He’s quick to retort that glory has different definitions for different people. “My definition for playback is being able to create a musical moment for people to have smiles and weep for joy.”

Doing riyaaz is something of a dying practice. Point that out and he insists it’s important to practise and that he does it by practising guitar with vocals and vocal separately everyday. I tell him a singer’s shelf life these days has significantly decreased. He agrees and adds, “It would if you don’t do your riyaaz and grow in your craft everyday..

I ask him if he has heard something about himself that has upset him. He said there’s nothing. I prod him for an answer and he replies, “Maybe I am not too involved with reviews and competition. Maybe, I’m lost in my own sh*t!”