Nikita Deb (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 23, 2020)

When he released a single called Ye Baarish, in 2017, it felt like a breath of fresh air, as Darshan Raval started his path to stardom in the Indian music industry. Of course, he had made his debut long back in 2015 with a song in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. But after he made a place for himself in the independent music industry, especially with a rain song every year, his popularity grew by leaps and bounds. He then went on to sing superhit Bollywood numbers such as Chogada (Loveyatri; 2018), Kamariya (Mitron; 2018), Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga; 2019) and Odhani (Made In China; 2019), among others.

Now, as Darshan releases another “heartbreaking single” for his fans and listeners, he feels that we need more original music in Bollywood. “We need a lot more of good sad songs and love songs in the form of original music in Bollywood,” he says, adding, that he has no idea why such few romantic numbers are created nowadays. “I think producers and composers will be able to find an answer to this question. I only make original songs and mostly sing original songs whether it’s in the independent genre or in the form of Bollywood music. In Bollywood, I can only try to sing originals, but when I make my independent music, I ensure I make originals,” says the singer.

Darshan’s latest hit from Love Aaj Kal — Mehrama — starring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan has garnered over 150 million views on YouTube. The singer says that it was a “great experience” to sing for Pritam [Chakraborty; composer] da in an Imtiaz Ali film starring Kartik. “I want to thank my fans and all the credit goes to them for listening to the song and loving it so much,” says Darshan, adding, “When I got the offer to sing this song, it was a very hectic period for me. I was performing every day, and I was doing concerts back to back. So, when I went to record this song, I was extremely tired and my voice was tired too, but I think that pain and exhaustion in the voice was needed in this song. So, it worked out well.”

Darshan’s latest single Asal Mein is again a sad romantic number. But the singer says that he can sing songs in any genre as long as he “personally likes the song”. “I am comfortable doing the songs that I like. If I like a song when I hear its melody, I will sing it. If I don’t love a song, I cannot sing it. When I like a song, I do justice to it and people love it too,” says the Tera Zikr singer.

As for the trend of remakes ruling over the music industry currently, Darshan says that he is “nobody to comment on it”. “I personally love independent songs. But the rest is up to the audience. People make songs that the audience likes,” says the singer who reprised the song Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To (1942: A Love story; 1994) for the Sonam K Ahuja-starrer film of the same name in 2019.

Darshan also enjoys a huge fan following online and he says he is blessed to have the people that he does in his life. “It’s a great feeling when I get up in the morning to realise that there are millions of people who listen to my songs and wait for them. I am honoured, blessed and very happy that I have such amazing people in my life,” he says. The singer also says that given a choice to choose between Bollywood music and independent music, he would “most definitely choose indie music”. “I love Bollywood music and movies because I grew up watching them. But I think independent music is very close to my heart. However, at the end of the day, it is all music. We are the ones who differentiate or divide them in categories. After all, I love music so the thing is when I make indie music, I am the creator and I get the opportunity to compose as well, and make the song from scratch. In Bollywood, it is based on a situation and I have to sing according to that,” signs off Darshan.

BOMBAY TIMES (September 24, 2019)

The audience got a glimpse of the song, Odhani Odhu Odhu Par Udi Jaye, at the recent trailer launch of director Mikhil Musale’s Made In China, starring Rajkummar Rao and Mouni Roy.

This isn’t the first time that the iconic Gujarati folk number, Odhani Odhu Odhune Udi Jaye, has been revisited. However, composers Sachin-Jigar, who have created the latest version, say that this is a modernised rendition, which will resonate with the youth.

Talking about the song, Sachin tells us, “Recreating an iconic song is always a huge responsibility. We have tried our best to retain the essence of the song, while making it palatable for the project and the audience.” Jigar adds, “Our aim is to make the song more relatable to the youngsters.”

The dance number, which releases today, has been choreographed by Vijay Ganguly, and it shows Rajkummar and Mouni set the dance floor ablaze. It has been sung by Neha Kakkar and Darshan Raval. With Navratri just around the corner, the makers hope that the redux version emerges as a festival favourite. “It’s a perfect track to kick-start the festive season. We hope that familiarity of this song, along with its contemporary twist, will make it a preferred choice for all generations during the festival,” Jigar says.

Jackky Bhagnani on launching his record label
Dhaval Roy (DNA; August 6, 2019)

Jackky Bhagnani’s bio on an online encyclopedia describes him as a music curator, apart from an actor and a producer. Not surprising then, he has launched his own record label, Jjust Music, to promote budding artistes. Jackky says, “I’m a dancer in my head. Even when I was a fat kid, I used to love dancing. I’ve always liked being part of music, as a producer or actor —whether Chaar Baj Gaye (F.A.L.T.U, 2011), Suno na Sangemarmar  from Youngistaan (2014) or Kamariya (Mitron, 2018).” The company has signed The Doorbeen, Prakriti and Sukriti Kakar, Jasleen Royal and Darshan Raval among others. Here, Jackky talks about his plans, acting and production.

What made you launch the record label?
It’s a healthy environment for music. Dad (producer Vashu Bhagnani) used to be one of the largest manufacturers of audio cassettes, so, I know that if we distribute CDs and tapes, it’s difficult to start a label. But now, you can reach out to a larger set of audience through digital streaming.

What are your plans for the venture?
The idea is to make the music scene healthy, build a community and sign up people on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis. I want to live up to the name of the label—there are two Js in it. One stands for ‘just’ music where we don’t speak of anything else, and the other is about ‘just’ or fair music for artistes. I want to do everything under the sun. Music will stay in the front and everything else will come later. We will try to make money but not at the cost of compromising with the art.

Artistes prefer going independent because labels don’t give them creative freedom...
See, I’m an actor first and then a businessperson. So, I understand that if I don’t give creative freedom to artistes, they will never be able to express themselves completely. I happen to be the owner, but that has nothing to do with my opinion. I will come in as an audience and tell the musicians whether I like the song or not and then it’s their call. If there is a difference of opinion, then one has to convince the other. If I say it will be only my way since I’m the founder, then there’s a clear problem. It also changes the idea of fair music.

What made you sign up The Doorbeen as the first artistes?
There’s an interesting story behind this. A couple of friends introduced me to Lamberghini before its release when I was producing Taapsee Pannu’s Dil Junglee. I thought it was a brilliant song and should be used in the movie, but it didn’t work out. However, I still had my heart set on them. Even after the song, they remained unexplored as artistes. So, I reached out to them. They liked our philosophy and came on-board.

Ranveer Singh is promoting rap and Varun Dhawan, hip hop dance. Why the interest in underground art?
All of us love music. We want to do non-Bollywood stuff at the level of Bollywood. In India, when we say ‘independent’, people think, yeh chhota hai. So, from the audio to the video, I want people to see that it’s a big song, no matter where it is from.

Since you’re an actor, would you be featuring in the videos as well?
Of course! I love dancing. I can dance on bhajans also. So, I will 100 per cent do something.

Would you get your friends from Bollywood to be in the videos as well?
I will approach them. I know how actors think — if the song is good and if it’s going to be shot well, they would be happy to be a part of it.

What’s happening on acting front?
Once you are on the set as an actor, you are detached for three or six months. And at this point, I am focussing on the label and production. Once that’s on autopilot, I’ve already identified what I want to do next.

As a producer, you have announced projects with Nitin Kakkar (Filmistaan), Rahi Anil Barve (Tumbbad) and Vijay Lalwani (Karthik Calling Karthik). Are you looking at content-driven movies?
We have always been known to be mass-entertainers and we will continue to be that. Coolie No 1 is already on its way. But because times are changing, and I come in as a younger producer, I thought that we should also do content-rich cinema. We will do all kinds of genres except for adult films — Dad has asked me to not to do those.

Are you ready for comparisons with the original Coolie No 1?
Like the original, the adaptation is also being directed by David Dhawan and it stars my favourite actor at this point, Varun. I think it’ll be outstanding. Right now, I really can’t say much about the film. We have an announcement coming soon, and it’s going to be exciting.

The popular music genre sees a revival with young artists reaching wider audiences through the web
Suktara Ghosh (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 7, 2019)

If you grew up in the 1990s, chances are you couldn’t escape listening to the music of Indian Ocean, Lucky Ali, Euphoria, or Bombay Vikings. They were an intrinsic part of life.

Indipop — or Hindi pop — was a roaring success. Numbers like “Made in India” by Alisha Chinai and “Paree Hoon Main” by Suneeta Rao became nothing short of anthems. But very quickly, the genre lost steam, with the best of singers and composers migrating to the more lucrative — and popular — industry that we know as Bollywood. Indipop was left, more or less, high and dry.

Today, the music genre is making a strong comeback. In 2019 alone, T-Series is planning to release about 50 to 60 singles, as opposed to full albums, or EPs. Sony Music, too, has more than 85 releases lined up. It’s driven by a fresh wave of talent, which is using the web to stream tunes across a gamut of music-hosting platforms; build large social media following; and find newer listeners. Its prime audience, aged typically between 16 and 24, are digital natives who are looking for music beyond what Bollywood has to offer.

Rohan Jha, head – pop repertoire, Sony music India, says: “Pop, today, is thriving. It is also set to become an independent mainstream genre that can run parallel to Bollywood music.”

The new-age pop stars, aware of creating as well as driving industry trends, are playing to their strengths. While Guru Randhawa is, undoubtedly, the king of Punjabi pop, Darshan Raval, Prateek Kuhad and Arjun Kanungo are making a name for themselves in the ballad genre. The Yellow Diary band, on the other hand, is leading the alternative rock front. Their songs garner millions of hits — Kanungo’s “Woh Baarishein”, for instance, saw over 21 million hits in 15 days — and comes armed with cinematic videos as well.

“Music is now consumed audio-visually,” says Bhushan Kumar, chairman and managing director, T-Series. “So, you will find that most videos now are shot lavishly, with great production values, and often in exotic locations.”

Mirror met some of the country’s biggest pop stars — who are as dedicated to music as to the gym and Instagram — to talk about why indipop is ruling the charts.

Guru Randhawa

TOP HIT: LAHORE (749 million views)

YT SUBSCRIBERS: 2.5 million

Growing up in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, Guru Randhawa would have to tweak his TV antenna to tune into Indian artists such as Babbu and Gurdas Maan, and Pakistani artists Sajjad Ali and Abrar-ul-Haq. That, and some serious talent, bolstered him to sing in Class 3, and start penning lyrics in Class 7. Today, he’s the biggest indipop star and the most viewed Indian singer on YouTube. “Slowly Slowly”, his latest single, and first international collaboration with Pitbull, raked in 160 million views in less than three months.

“I take inspiration from everyday life,” shares the 28-year-old hit-maker, who just wound up a 14-city tour. “The music just comes to me and I note it down. I can be in a car, flight, or studio… Sometimes, the hook [a riff or phrase, used to resonate with the listener] comes first, and then I work on the composition. And we go to the studio and record it.”

Randhawa says his ability to compose songs with simple lyrics and catchy music play a huge role in winning fans over. “As an independent musician, I can do what I feel satisfied with, and not feel the pressure of what others expect me to deliver,” he says.

Topping my playlist: Gurbani, Hans Zimmer, Bruno Mars


Darshan Raval

TOP HIT: TERA ZIKR (148 million views)

YT SUBSCRIBERS: 1.6 million

When he released “Kaash Aisa Hota” in March this year, Darshan Raval’s social media handles were inundated with notes from fans, who wrote in to say why the song resonates with them. The love-betrayal-heartbreak ballad has since, attracted 38 million views. “People relate to my music,” says the 24-year-old pop sensation.

Raval made his musical debut in a TV reality show in 2014 with “Meri Pehli Mohabbat”, a song he wrote and composed himself. He hit the jackpot with “Tera Zikr”, a year ago. “I wait for the songs to come to me. Sometimes the wait can last six to seven months,” he says. “Sometimes, a melody comes to me in a dream. Whenever it comes, you have to be ready to note it down.” he says, adding that his phone is filled with voice notes of melodies.

Raval says that indipop is seeing a revival because today, film music has become largely below par. “There’s a gap in the industry and that’s what pop is catering to,” he explains. On the eve of the launch of his new monsoon single, the singer confesses he’s a bit nervous, despite having belted out a string of 13 hits.

Topping my playlist: "Kannana Kanne", "I Am Going To America", "Say You Won't Let Go"



Aastha Gill

TOP HIT: DJ WALEY BABU (233 million views)

YT SUBSCRIBERS: 13K

Her music dashed her career goals, but Aastha Gill had already made up her mind when she chose rapper Raftaar’s offer of a Bollywood song over working at an ad agency gig. It eventually led her to composer-singer Badshah and the collaboration that was the viral “DJ Waley Babu” in 2015. “Badshah bhaiya said I have to sound very dumb and cheesy for the song,” she shares, breaking into laughter.

The 25-year-old followed it up with “Buzz”, a year ago, which saw some 215 million views, and “Saara India” that came out this May and has already clocked 40 million hits on YouTube.

“In 2015, indipop barely had a presence. You had to make something really exceptional to make it click. There’s much more opportunity and freedom now,” says the singer.

Gill also works hard on the videos that accompany her songs. “People might know your voice, but they need to see a face too,” she says. “Music videos are important for an artist’s identity. I work a lot — sometimes for months — over my styling, visualisation, and so on.”

Topping my playlist: "Haaye Oye", "Kylie+Kareena", "Aithey Aa"


Prateek Kuhad

TOP HIT: TUM JAB PAAS (5.9 million views)

YT SUBSCRIBERS: 158k

Prateek Kuhad stands out. Period. The 29-year-old writer-composer-singer, currently based in New York, is all exquisite melody, poetry, and wistful voice. His last EP, Cold/Mess, which captures the rollercoaster emotions between love and heartbreak with six songs, came out in July last year, to take the top spot on iTunes India’s all-genre album chart, and the singer is fast becoming the global face of indipop.

Comfortable with writing both in Hindi and English, Kuhad feels a song’s language is “not really a concern”. Says the Jaipur boy: “I think my sound has changed a lot over the years. I’ve gone from folksy to urban to contemporary. Everything I release, or I’m a part of, should be good. I think every artist feels like that, so music videos are important too.”

Despite the large fan base and recognition — he took home the ‘Best Indian Act’ trophy at MTV’s Europe Music Awards (EMA) Awards in 2016, and won the Indie Album of the Year title from iTunes in 2015 for his second release Tokens and Charms — Kuhad seems to be in no hurry to be a part of the rat race. Quiz him about how he handles the pressure to deliver, and he laughs out loud: “I don’t handle it very well.”

Currently, Kuhad is focusing on shows, and writing and composing for ads and indie movies in New York.

TOPPING MY PLAYLIST: Joni Mitchell, The Tallest Man on Earth


Jubin Nautiyal

TOP HIT: HUMNAVA MERE (196 million views)

YT SUBSCRIBERS: 84k

His single “Chitthi” has clocked 34 million hits since its release this March, but Jubin Nautiyal, who has just celebrated his 30th birthday in Dehradun, his hometown, is far from elated. Entering the independent sector after consolidating his playback career, the singer-composer is in a mood to experiment.

Nautiyal is also readying to release his next single in July with what he promises to be a rather unfamiliar sound. “It’s a soul song I’ve composed and sung, and I’m trying to break the traditional songwriting structure with it. It’s what any independent musician wants — to push the limits of his own creativity. I don’t know if people would love it, or hate it, but they wouldn’t be able to ignore it for sure,” he says.

While Nautiyal agrees that the internet has opened up many possibilities for the pop music industry, he rues the loss of individuality. “A lot of music is modelled on earlier creations and what works commercially. There’s too much traffic. As a result, a lot of good music is falling through the cracks, and that is exactly what I’m trying to change as an established playback singer. I have the audience now who I can feed new music to, and see how they like it, and then learn from it,” he says.

TOPPING MY PLAYLIST: “Ka Moun Ké”, “Love is a Losing Game”, “Zindagi Mein Toh Sabhi Pyar Kiya Karte Hain”


Arjun Kanungo

TOP HIT: AAYA NA TU (67 million views)

YT SUBSCRIBERS: 260k

Aap guitar bahut bekaar baajate ho, par aap gaate acche ho. Aapko gaana hai mere band mein (your guitar skills are pretty ordinary, but you sing well. You have to sing for my band)”, was how Asha Bhosle handpicked the then 20-year-old Arjun Kanungo to perform in some 75 shows with her. And when he debuted with the runaway single “Baaki Baatein Peene Baad”, Badshah decided to rap for it.

Kanungo has been steadily rising up the charts since. “The plan is to release a new song every two months,” says the Bandra-based composer-singer.

“In 2015, when I began my independent music journey, most radio stations would refuse to play our songs. Now, people are choosing to listen to good pop music. There’s democratisation of content and I can decide what kind of music to make. My priority is no longer to become someone else’s voice in a film,” he says.

He’s also really clued in on the algorithm of his audience base, and knows how many people subscribe to his music across streaming platforms. “Understanding what makes us popular is a power in itself, and allows us to market the music better,” says the 28-year-old, who studied musical theatre at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. “I have always wanted to be a complete artist, and I enjoy every bit of it.”

TOPPING MY PLAYLIST: “Teri Mitti”, Kalank title track, “Good Things Fall Apart”

The Yellow Diary

TOP HIT: MARZ (6.2 million views)

YT SUBSCRIBERS: 6.3k

When he took off his in-ear monitor midway through the performance of “Marz” at NH7 Weekender in Pune last December, Rajan Batra was hit by a wave of voices singing the chorus with him. He broke down on stage. “Nothing can beat that feeling,” he says, shaking his head.

The alternative rock band, comprising Himonshu Parikh (music production, keyboard, backing vocals), Vaibhav Pani (guitar), Sahil Shah (drums), Stuart DaCosta (bass), and Batra (vocals/ songwriter), has shot to stardom with just two EP releases in 2018. “Our music is song specific and the numbers are a reflection of what we go through in our daily lives, hence they are deep and relatable,” says Pani.

Shah agrees: “We come from different musical backgrounds, and we throw these sounds together, which eventually translates into this cohesive mix that resonates with people. It’s one of the reasons we decided to collaborate as well.”

All in their late 20s, this band of boys is now prepping to release their latest EP this month.

Topping our playlist: Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Michael Jackson