Soon after singer Jaan Kumar Sanu announced a tribute song on late actor Sidharth Shukla and his rumoured girlfriend, actor-singer Shehnaaz Gill, he was trolled for disrespecting Shukla’s legacy. Responding to the same, Sanu says he is disheartened with the negative response to his song, Mera Tu.

“There is a lot of negativity on social media. I realised that people judge you no matter what, so it is better to just listen to your heart and do what you want to do. I am going to release my song and I hope that people like it,” he says.

Noting how the situation has become adverse for him as well as for Gill, who was also trolled for her tribute music video for Shukla, Sanu adds, “Fans have become very toxic. I read negative things being said about Shehnaaz also. People are targeting her as well, which is shocking. A lot of fans share video messages and dedicate songs to their idols. So why not question them? Just because someone is a public figure doesn’t mean you can question their intent.”

It has also been alleged that Sanu made the song a long time ago and was waiting to release it at the right time. “This song was made a week ago,” the singer clarifies, adding, “I got the track in my head, as a lot of Sidharth’s fans tag me in posts about us from our time on the reality show. I also revisited his and Shehnaaz’s moments and thought of paying tribute to such a beautiful relationship.”

Kumar Sanu is hurt by his youngest son Jaan Kumar Sanu’s recent comment that his father has never been a part of his life. Jaan, who was recently evicted from the Bigg Boss house, also said that he has been brought up single-handedly by his mother, Rita Bhattacharya. Speaking to BT from Los Angeles, Kumar Sanu said, “It is sad that Jaan is saying all this about me when he met me right before he went into the Bigg Boss house. He says I haven’t given them anything, but the fact is that during the divorce, I gave Rita ji what she had asked for, including my very first bungalow.”

The veteran singer shared, “The court had given custody of our three children to her because they were quite young. She has raised them single-handedly, which is commendable. I used to meet them under restrictions for a limited time. Later, after I remarried, I moved out of India because I did not have much work in Mumbai. But whenever I visited India, I would get in touch with my sons (Jessy, Jeeko and Jaan). We went out for dinner a few times. They were busy with their lives, but whenever they contacted me, I would try to be available if I was in Mumbai. We were in touch over calls. My work is such that I can never be in one place for a long duration. I can’t even stay with my wife Saloni and my two daughters for a long span of time, as I have to travel all over the world for concerts.”

One of the allegations that Jaan made was that his father never helped him in his career. Jaan told BT, “I have no idea why he never supported or promoted me as a singer… you can ask him why. I find it quite silly when people say I am a product of nepotism. I have created my own path.”

Reacting to this, Kumar Sanu said, “Jaan would send me songs and ask me what I thought about his singing. I have always encouraged him, and I always will. He asked me to call a few industry people who I know. I called Mukesh Bhatt ji, Ramesh Taurani ji and a few others, and Jaan went to meet them, but now it’s up to them if they want to give him work. In fact, when Jaan wanted to be a part of some of my live concerts, I let him join me for a few.”

Talking about his son’s comment on his mother bringing him up single-handedly, Kumar Sanu said, “I’ve heard him say in his interviews and also in Bigg Boss that his mother is his mom and dad for him. I appreciate his respect for his mom, and I believe in giving even more respect to his mother. He should write his name as Jaan Rita Bhattacharya, not Jaan Kumar Sanu because, firstly, she has done a lot for him, and secondly, people will compare him with me, which won’t be good for him as a newcomer. I’d be the happiest father to see him successful.” He added, “Recently, when I tested positive for Coronavirus, I was all alone. I was so weak and sick that I couldn’t go to the washroom by myself, but none of my sons bothered to ask about my health. Love can’t be just one-sided; it’s always two ways.”

— With inputs from Tanvi Trivedi