Singer Kumar Sanu regrets not spending enough time with these music maestros; says he wishes he could have recorded more songs with them
Nikita Deb (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 1, 2020)

One of the most popular and loved singers in Bollywood, Kumar Sanu ruled the ’90s with his music and songs. With superhits such as Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen (Baazigar; 1993), Tujhe Dekha Toh (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge; 1995) and Aankh Marey (Tere Mere Sapne; 1996), to his credit, Sanu stills enjoys a sizeable fan following even though he doesn’t sing as many songs anymore. As the king of melody completes 30 years in the music industry, he says that even though there were times when things were “unpredictable”, he always had “faith in karma and music”. Excerpts from an interview:

You have completed 30 years in the industry. How has the journey been?
The journey was amazing with many ups and downs. At some points, it was quite unpredictable, but I had faith in karma and music. It always kept me together and down to earth. I never forgot my roots. My musical journey is something I can’t ask more from. It’s very satisfying as an artiste and most importantly, I’m still getting love from my fans all over the world, and that makes me feel a like complete artiste.

What are your biggest learnings and takeaways from this long period of being associated with Bollywood?
My biggest learning is to remain down to earth, no matter how successful I am. It’s natural to be thinking too much of yourself when you’re successful. But after you reach the peak of success, it’s only downhill from there. I just know that one should never get disappointed. Your time will come one day.

You have a world record for singing the most number of songs (28 tracks) in a single day. All things considered, are you content with all that you have achieved until now?
Yes of course. I’m quite happy with whatever I’ve achieved so far. God has given me much more than I asked for. Now, it’s time for me to give back to the society. That’s why I’m running free schools and doing whatever I can do on my own to give back to the less fortunate people who are part of my success. I guess, being happy is the key to success. I never let my personal grief overpower my art, and I’m the happiest person when I meet my fans. It feels like an award when I see their love for me in their eyes. What else I can ask for?

Do you have any regrets professionally?
My biggest regret is the death of Gulshan Kumar ji and Pancham da (R D Burman). I wanted to work more with them, spend time with them and it couldn’t happen. Sometimes, I miss them so much when I listen to their songs, and I feel the void that they left in the industry. I wish they were here.

You’re one of the most loved singers in the industry till date. Do you think singers today don’t enjoy the same popularity that you did?
In our time, luckily, there were limited singers because we had to sing live in one take to record the entire song, along with the musicians. One had to be very skilled to sing live at one go. That’s why there were only people who knew to sing properly. Nowadays, it’s easy to be a singer with technical tuning support and that’s the reason why there are more singers than we need in Bollywood. To put it simply, in my time, I used to sing five to six songs in one movie, now five to six singers sing one song and then one version is finalised. This experiment is good to get variations in the song, but popularity gets divided amongst all. That’s the only difference I can spot. There are many talented singers in the industry today, and they’re doing quite well.

How do you think the music industry has changed over the years?
Look, change is necessary. We can’t get stuck in time. We still hear melodious songs along with rap etc. It’s always good to accept new things. The only thing I don’t like is using abusive language in songs. It affects our young generation and it’s bad!

You still sing in movies and are also working in the independent space, what keeps you going even today?
Positivity is what still keeps me going even today. I feel happy when I’m in studio and singing live amongst my audiences. It’s their love which inspires me a lot to keep going.

What is your vision for the music industry?
There are many talented artistes in the industry and there’s a bigger scope than before. Everyone can get their chance at least once, to prove themselves which is very nice. Amazing music is being made and there are a variety of praiseworthy singers. It’s the best time for music industry today, and for all the kids out there. I hope for the best for music industry and send my love to the new talents.