Musician Kailash Kher’s ‘haha hehe huhu zuzu’ video is an internet fave, and his clips often go viral as meme templates. Others that have left social media users entertained include him judging the “frivolous” ‘how are you’ pleasantries and comparing RAM (Random Access Memory) to Lord Ram.

Addressing the chatter, Kher, 52, says that his comments come from a place of cultural reflection: “My point was that asking people ‘How are you’ is such a waste of time. Kitna bekar lagta hai. The other person, too, like a parrot, is forced to say ‘I’m fine.’ According to our culture, we greet people, saying pranam or namaskar and end it there. It’s all frivolous conversation and has to be called out.”

The singer admits that his serious tone sometimes lends itself easily to memes. “Being a spiritual person, at times my expressions come across more serious than intended, and memers pick those bits,” he shares, adding that he has learnt to take it in stride.

“Half the world has turned into lakeer ka fakeer, leading mundane lives. There are very few who are self-aware. But I’ve learnt to laugh along and enjoy with people on the internet,” he ends.

Amid videos circulating on social media showing singer Kailash Kher storming off the stage during his recent Gwalior concert on December 25 due to crowd misbehaviour, the singer has clarified that he didn’t abandon the event.

Talking about what happened, the 52-year-old says, “Dekhiye, log bekaboo ho gaye thhe. Ladke toh ladke, ladkiyaan bhi barricade jump karke aa rahi thi. Bahut hi stressful ho gaya thha sab. Maine concert se walk off isliye kiya thha taaki woh shaant ho jaayein.”

He adds, “Authorities were trying their best, but the crowd didn’t listen. Excitement kahiye ya jo bhi, kuch waqt ke liye walk off karna hi best thha uss situation mein.”

About how the concert went after he returned on stage, Kailash says, “Sab jamm ke nache. Everyone had a good time. My main concern was that no one should get hurt.”

Reflecting on broader issues around concert conduct, Kailash observes how rising enthusiasm at live events can cross into unsafe territory. “Excitement ko handle karna aana chahiye, chahe audience ho ya performers. Situations ko properly handle karna hi sabse zaroori hota hai,” he concludes.

From the size of venues to the number of attendees and the grandeur of the artistes, concerts in the past year have evolved – transforming from mere music events into a larger cultural phenomenon. It didn’t matter whether one was a die-hard music lover; the sheer demand for the live gig experience had fans scrambling to snag tickets.

Case in point: Coldplay’s Ahmedabad performance broke the record for the largest stadium show of the 21st century, with 1,11,989 fans in attendance – narrowly surpassing the record set by George Strait, who played to 1,10,905 fans in Texas last June.

At a time when concerts have become a melting pot for artistes, organizers and fans alike, the conversation around event logistics has never been more relevant. From seamless entry and exit to parking, washrooms, crowd management, and ensuring both fan safety and artiste satisfaction, stakeholders across the board weigh in on the infrastructure expectations at live events.

In December, Diljit Dosanjh spoke about infrastructure at his Chandigarh show and said in Punjabi, “Here we don’t have infrastructure for live shows. This is a source of big revenue, many people get work and are able to work here... I’ll try next time that the stage is at the centre so that you (the fans) can be around it. Till this happens, I won’t do shows in India, that’s for sure.”

A diabetic Mumbai-based fan had shared his harrowing experience at the Byran Adams concert. He claimed that the lack of washrooms left him with no choice but to pee his pants. “I am NOT ashamed to say that I am diabetic with continence issues. You guys should be ashamed for providing three loos/1000 people,” he wrote in a post, accusing the organizers.

In December, singer Monali Thakur left the stage midway during a live gig in Varanasi. Explaining to her fans about this decision, the singer wrote in a post, “I am disheartened because my team and I were so excited to perform here. Let’s not talk about the infrastructure and its condition, as that is the management’s responsibility. I can’t explain what they have done to the stage just so they can steal money.”

She added, “Time and again, I said that I could injure my ankle here. My dancers have been telling me to calm down, but everything was a mess. We were trying because I am answerable to you all, and you come for me, right? You will hold me accountable for all of this”

From an organizer's perspective, several key areas warrant attention. “Beyond venue development, improvements to transportation and robust security measures are crucial. A cohesive understanding between event organizers and local authorities will significantly enhance the experience for both artistes and attendees,” says Rishabh Talwar, Business Head, Team Innovation.

-Active stadiums like a cricket stadium cannot always be used for concerts due to scheduling conflicts and their primary function as sports venues

- Organizers need multipurpose, plug-and-play venues designed for concerts, similar to those in the west

- These venues should have built-in production facilities and acoustic treatment

- The ease of organising concerts must improve, with streamlined permissions and reduced bureaucratic hurdles

— Avadh Nagpal, co founder, Souldout

- Obtaining approvals and coordinating with authorities to conduct concerts is a task, often leading to last-minute cancellations without care for the financial and logistical investment of organizers

- There is no uniformity in production quality across different venues. The same concert in Mumbai, Delhi, or Bangalore can feel drastically different because of inconsistent infrastructure and acoustics

- Lack of industry regulations: Currently, anyone with some financial backing, can call themselves an event organizer. This results in inexperienced promoters inflating artiste fees to secure shows but failing to deliver quality production or marketing

- Established artistes don’t always scrutinize the credentials of event organizers, which sometimes leads to mismanaged tours, ultimately harming the industry

— Avadh Nagpal

Talking about the Bryan Adams show that he did in Goa, Deepak Choudhary, founder and MD of EVA Live, shares, “We did a Bryan Adams show in Bambolim Stadium in Goa with 15,000 people and the city was still operating well. 70% of the time the stadium is not being used. The country has the infrastructure. The greatness of a Coldplay show in Ahmedabad is an example of that. Finally, we are getting stadiums to do concerts. Like in Delhi, A R Rahman’s show happened at Garden of Five Senses a few years ago but nobody is doing a show there now. The issue is not the absence of the facilities, but the lack of a right plan.”

“There is certainly a need to have more venues for bigger concerts. As an artiste, I also feel that fans usually struggle with logistics like parking spots or accessing the road to the venue. I feel everything else can be managed, these are the two things that we need, we lack proper planning,” shares Rahul Vaidya.

Kailash Kher, who performs with his band Kailasa, adds that it is encouraging that a discussion has now started on concerts and concert economy. “Music concerts pehle bhi hote thay par music ko lightly liya jaata tha. In the last decade – government, corporates and institutes have started taking these seriously. Infrastructure improve hone ki zaroorat hai... When international concerts happen, chahe samajh aaye na aaye, audience ka joh approach hai unke liye, ek jaisa har jagah hai. Aise hamare music ko bhi promote karna chahiye. Unke tickets black mein le rahe hain, par jab Kailasa ka show hota hai, wahi log free mein passes chahte hain toh yeh jo mentality hai, yeh change hona chahiye. Difference ko kam karne ki zaroorat hai,” Kher points out.

Subir Malik from Parikrama adds that in terms of music, light and sound, we don’t lack anything or in technical aspects, it just depends on the organizer and local event organizer. “From the musician’s point of view, I go and watch concerts all over the world. With the quality of sound, lights, and the engineers we have, the output of our vendors in India is world-class. From the music’s point of view, I am happy that India is getting all kinds of diverse artistes. The production of a show like Coldplay’s is not easy but that was managed and that is a huge thing for the country. The only thing where we need to work a little extra is crowd management, entry into the concerts, exit from the concerts and availability of toilets.”

Faridkot duo Inder Preet Singh and Rajarshi Sanyal agree that the infrastructure isn’t as big an issue as organising big concerts efficiently. “Hosting a concert takes a lot of intense technical and logistical requirements. From managing local transport for a large crowd to the food, beverages and the venue – all play an important factor in ensuring a smooth concert experience. Take for instance, the recent Coldplay concert. Many fans took a long time to just exit the venue after the concert. If we look at the one organized in Abu Dhabi, many fans were raving about how they were in their cabs and on their way home within 15 minutes after the concert was over. We have to figure out how to make the process efficient so that we can get closer to such numbers,” they tell us.

Shilpa Khanna, a resident of Sec 52, Gurgaon, who attended AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla concerts last year, shares, “I attend almost all concerts in NCR. I can manage the entry/exit points but what one cannot deal with are the washrooms at these venues. Firstly, it is impossible to find a washroom and when you do find one, there are long queues. And they are anything but hygienic. So, imagine being at a venue for 5-6 hours without any basic infrastructure in place.”

While complaints about the conditions of public restrooms at such venues remain a common grievance among concertgoers, attendees also contend with parking issues and occasional rowdy crowds. “Most of my friends choose not to go to concerts because of the crowd. Who wants to push people to enter and exit a venue. Sometimes you end up spending more time at exit and entry points than you do at the performance. It doesn’t matter if the concert is in Gurgaon or Delhi, finding a parking spot is impossible and if are lucky to find one, it takes hours to leave the venue after a concert,” says Rajat Chopra, a resident of Ramesh Nagar, who attended Bryan Adams’ show in Gurgaon last year.

Deepak Choudhary, founder and MD of an event company, shares that most promoters either already have arranged or are working to provide better washrooms at concerts. “Sometimes a promoter’s ROI does not allow them to give access to washrooms. In such cases, they are at fault. However, some of these promoters (like District by Zomato) are now asking customers to fill satisfaction forms while finalizing an event. The real issue is parking. The communication to fans abroad is ‘don’t bring your cars.’ We also tell our consumers here that there will be no parking but they still think they will find a way. They think they will bring their cars and find parking. And then we plan a 2 km walk and they get upset that they had to walk for 2 km. The infrastructure is not ready within the venue to park so many cars. And that has to be solved with the consumer behaviour, govt’s effort and pre-planning of enough parking areas near the venue. Organizers also need to make sure that there’s enough parking management.”

Deepak Choudhary highlights the gap between concertgoers’ expectations and reality. “Someone told me that they fainted because they didn’t get water at the concert but the organizers have planned enough water booths. It is a delivery expectation. We, as promoters, are not the people who will give something in your hand. We are giving you the access, doing everything we can and sometimes some promoters don’t communicate. That is the issue.”

With more than 100 concerts and performances across the world, 2024 was one of the busiest years for Kailash Kher. “As compared to the last few years, it was for the first time in 2024 that we had back-to-back concerts for more than a month. I don’t have any break till January 8. Mera gala bhi baith jata hai and I often tell people ki, ‘Baksh do mujhe, 12-15 din se lagatar gaa raha hun 2-3 ghante tak,’” the singer shares.

The singer, who is known for his songs like Jaikara, Teri Deewani, says that the biggest change in the music scene in 2024 was that there was an increase in live shows and concerts.

“It was for the first time in 2024 that so many concerts happened in India. As compared to the last few years, there was a significant rise in the number of concerts last year. Fans are evolving and now they want to attend live concerts. Pehle kaun concert ke tickets khareedta tha? Pehle toh free mein chahiye thi sabko tickets. Now, we are at a stage where almost all our shows are sold out. Fans are changing their approach towards music and what they like to hear is also changing. They give preference to non-filmy music too,” he says.

He adds that while the number of concerts in India is going up, there is an urgent need to develop concert venues in different cities.

“When we recently performed in Delhi, at Central Park in Connaught Place, the venue was for 4,000-5,000 people, but around 12,000 people attended the concert. We currently lack good infrastructure for music concerts and festivals. We need more venues. Auditoriums and amphitheaters should be planned like malls in different cities, especially metros. While there have been initiatives, we need multiple venues with world-class facilities. In Delhi, we have an urgent requirement of at least five more indoor and outdoor venues, where big-scale concerts can be organized. As there are more concerts being organized now, we should have more venues for such performances,” he says.

Kailash Kher says, “Fans are leaning towards music with a touch of spirituality these days”

- Saiyyan

- Bum Lahiri

- Jaikara

Singer Kailash Kher opened up for the first time about his marriage in a recent interview. After tying the knot with Sheetal Kher, who is 11 years younger to him in 2009, he shared that they separated within a couple of years.

“I am sharing this for the first time. I am married and have a son he’s 14 years old, his name is Kabir. But within two or three years of marriage, despite being with the family, I am alone. We are now separated. So everything is fine,” he told Raj Shamani in a podcast.

Speaking about how the relationship began, Kher said, “Ours was an arranged marriage. I am an artiste; it would have been difficult for me to have an arranged marriage. My parents had passed away so some friends introduced us,” he told Raj Shamani on his podcast, adding, “Artistes find themselves stuck on two occasions; with bankers, and with arranged marriages. The banks don’t trust us, nor do those looking for arranged marriages, because our income is not steady. We live life king-size, but these two are sceptical of us.”

The 51-year-old added, “So many people feel sorry after hearing this and say ‘I am sorry to hear this’ But hey you shut up, I am sorry for you, look at you, despite having everything you are so alone. And I, despite being alone, am connected with everyone.”

Singer Sona Mohapatra has always viewed herself as a warrior against sexual harassment in the music industry, having been among the first to accuse composer Anu Malik of misconduct. Although the #MeToo movement lost momentum, the recent Hema Committee report on power dynamics and casting couch culture in Malayalam cinema has renewed the discussion on these critical issues.

“This report is a validation of what many of us have been fighting for — safer workplaces and fair opportunities based on merit,” she says.

Reflecting on her career struggles, Mohapatra recounts being “thrown out” as a judge from a music reality show, which led to financial difficulties and the loss of her team.

“I couldn’t pay my team that year and even lost a USA tour. I was labelled a troublemaker, and no TV channel has approached me since to make amends. Meanwhile, the perverts, who were named by me and multiple other women, are happily back on national TV with youngsters around them. All of them, including Anu Malik, Kailash Kher (singer), Sajid Khan (director), Vikas Bahl (filmmaker) and several others, found space in the public domain to gloat over the fact that it is very much a man’s world.”

She adds, “Public memory is short, it often forgives these perverts quickly... Some, like Sonu Nigam (singer), expressed sympathy for Anu Malik losing work but demanded hard proof from survivors.” 

Despite facing setbacks for speaking out, Mohapatra remains steadfast: “I’m back with a new show, Lal Pari Mastani, winning awards across the world.”

We attempted to contact Anu Malik, Kailash Kher, Sonu Nigam and Vikas Bahl for comments, but received no response.

Released yesterday, to coincide with his birthday, Ishq hai is the fourth single from Kailash Kher’s album that the singer says is an extension of the work he has been doing in the industry since he stepped into it. Stating that he believes it is his calling to serve people with music, Kher tells mid-day, 

“Since I was born, the almighty decided I would create a name in this industry. We released the first [edition] of my album, Kailasa, in 2006, and when we spoke to people about what it implies, they were impressed. Kailasa means divinity. We added spirituality to romantic music as well. Having grown up in an ashram in Rishikesh, in the company of saints, I was never exposed to film music. So, when I entered the industry with the idea of showcasing my music, I introduced a fresh take [to Bollywood music]. Our successive five albums were hits,” says Kher, adding that the latest album also attempts to make spiritual music mainstream.

The boom of streaming platforms may have music aficionados questioning the need for an album when singles can be easily accessed, but, Kher says, the demand for a cohesive musical piece will always continue to be there.

“If you notice, the past two songs from this album, Dil Jaani and Mera Dil Hai, are also rooted in spirituality. No matter how much the world changes, there will always be a demand for music that touches the soul. After food, art is of utmost importance for people. After the stomach has been satiated, the heart needs to be satiated, and that happens with knowledge and art. We created this album because our fans had been asking us to make more music.”

Asserting that his music is an extension of his lifestyle, Kher says his food is “as pure as the kind you can offer to God”.

“Even though I belong to this generation, I am drawn to [Indian practices] dating thousands of years ago. The food I eat is grown by me. Even the curd I consume is made from the milk I get from my gaushala in Lonavala. Even though I have created both film and non-film music, I am known in my concerts for the latter. The reason I received the Padma Shri title in the short tenure of 12 years is because I could bring spiritual music to the mainstream, and change the course of the creation of romantic music,” says the singer, who is set to head to the USA on tour in September. 

Kher believes the Indian music space has seen a significant evolution, a major chunk of which has been brought about by the south Indian film fraternity.

“I believe that the energy of the places where the bigger Indian temples are situated is the most prominent. The power of the south Indian temples has enabled movies from this part of the country to reach the Oscars. In the past, there was another film that reached the Oscars; one that showed Indians jumping into a pile of shit. Think about how much that damaged our reputation. But, films like RRR [2022], which also make a reference to Lord Ram, are the ones that shone on [international turf]. I have never seen God’s music being played in movies. But, in films like Baahubali, such music was celebrated. These films also promote a good message. It isn’t like those that run for 20 years but have a shallow [message to propagate].”

In the pipeline for him is his book launch. Kher’s coffee table book, he says, will shed light on interesting anecdotes related to the lyrics of his songs. “It will describe how our popular tracks were made, and how our experiences influenced our work.”

For the average concert-goer, a flying bottle, students dancing on barricades or throwing water during fests is a common sight. The recent incident at SGRR University in Dehradun, where Sunidhi Chauhan dodged a bottle while performing on stage, is yet another in the line of instances that singers have faced at fests. “Fests mein aisa hota hi hai, woh thode scary toh hote hi hain,” singers tell us.

During Sunidhi Chauhan’s recent concert (May 2) in Dehradun, a bottle was flung at her.  “The bottle came flying towards me and hit the mic. Mere saath aisa pehle kabhi nahi hua tha, so I was taken aback. I was not hurt, and I continued singing. I realized that it was not done intentionally,” the singer told us.

It happened a long time ago with me at a college in Faridabad. I think it was a plastic cup or something but a couple of them were hurled on stage. It didn’t really hit my face. These things happen. I am not so surprised and I feel in a crowd of five to six thousand people, there are always a few odd ones but because of those, others should not suffer and miss out on the musical experience that they are having. You should just ignore and let it pass like Sunidhi did.

In 2014, we were performing at a DU college and there was some ego tussle within two university student groups. Excitement was at its peak and all of a sudden, there were a lot of lathis and so many sharp objects were thrown in the crowd. Palak jhapakte hi kuchh log stage tak aa gaye. Humko protect kar diya wahan ke management ne, lekin kuchh log wahan chadhke narebaji karne lage. Phir humne dekha kisi ka sar phoota hua hai, humko toh jaake car mein baithna pada. Kuchh logon ko photos chahiye issliye jhagda hua. Hum car mein baithe, toh ek banda car ke peeche bhaaga aur bola, ‘Bhai chahe mera haath toot jaye, main toh haath nikalunga nahi gaadi se’. Matlab mohabbat bhi hai, pyaar bhi hai, lekin aisa scary pyaar? Toh DU aur yeh college fests mein aisi cheeze hote hain yeh thode scary hai. Woh energy bhi alag hoti hai.

This has happened tons of times at my shows too, particularly in Delhi colleges. I was initially oblivious to it while performing, and then my bandmates told me that during several of our shows, bottles, oranges, and other random objects had been thrown around both in the audience and on stage. A bottle almost hit me once. It’s really sad and scary that people can get like this during concerts. It can cause accidents to both them and the people on stage.

This has never happened with me in all of my performing career. But people have said nasty or borderline nasty things sometimes. And back in the day, I was too chicken to reply but now I am not. So that’s one change I have brought in myself to handle situations like these. But honestly, I don’t know how I’d feel if someone would throw a bottle or something else on stage. As an artiste, that is devastating and that’s not why you display your art and talent in front of people. You want to be loved, appreciated and respected. If something like this happens, I think what Sunidhi did was absolutely praise-worthy. She handled it with utmost grace and so beautifully with a great presence of mind and I think I would like to salute her for it. Some artistes can be temperamental, call off a concert. One can shed a tear, one can get angry, there are so many ways to handle a situation like this, but what she did was incredible.

I was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, it was a private party and the host got really drunk and I think he had a pattern of getting violent after having alcohol. He threw a glass with alcohol on the stage angrily which ended up hitting almost the right eye of my keyboardist. The injury was so bad that he had to get 12 stitches on his eyebrow. There was blood all over the stage, we were helpless because we were in a foreign country. And when someone invites us, you really can’t do much about it.

Singer Kailash Kher was filled with a strong sense of devotion after he attended the pran pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya’s Shri Ram Temple and delivered a soulful performance on Monday. Now, the event has become one of the most cherished moments of his life.

“Aisa laga ke humne bhagwan Ram ke real mein darshan kare hain,” he tells us, adding, “It was a deeply spiritual moment. I must have done something right that I got a chance to witness it”.

The 50-year-old reveals that he performed his track Ram Dhun after the unveiling of Ram Lalla’s idol. “I feel so honoured and blessed that I got an opportunity to sing. It was a very special feeling,” he shares, recalling an incident where he felt divine intervention. “I, along with Sonu ji (singer Sonu Nigam), came out of the temple without doing the darshan. As we were walking out, we met Yogi Adityanath (UP CM) and he assured to help us. We went in and did the darshan. I think that was Shri Ram’s way of not letting us go without meeting him,” he ends.

Anu Malik landed in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) yesterday and travelled to Ayodhya by road. “My travel to the city was amazing. Every 10 metres, there’s a portrait of Ram on the way to Ayodhya. It’s such a beautiful feeling,” says the composer, who is excited about being part of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony today.

Sharing how he feels about being on the guest list, Malik says, “The feeling right now is unbelievable, indescribable and amazing. It’s a very emotional moment for me. I feel blessed that I have been invited. I will stay in Ayodhya today and return to Mumbai tomorrow.”

He adds, “My bhajan Ram Ka Dham, sung by Kailash Kher, is among the seven bhajans tweeted by our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. I am really happy about that too.”

Malik is representing his entire family in Ayodhya. He shares, “I got new ethnic clothes stitched, keeping the occasion in mind. I thank our PM and the Ram bhakts for making this moment possible. My family has told me what they want me to pray at the ceremony today. I will be praying on everyone’s behalf.”

From his work to his demeanour — Kailash Kher’s love for spirituality reflects in everything he does. Speaking to us at his studio in Mumbai, the Padma Shri recipient says he has recorded 21 songs on Ram there. Ahead of the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the musician has been releasing a new song daily on his YouTube channel, with the latest ones being Ram Ka Dham and Hey Ram.

The 50-year-old tells us, “I sang Ram Dhun for the film Main Atal Hoon. We have released around seven to eight songs so far and plan for more. I collaborated with (singer-actor) Amruta Fadnavis ji (wife of Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister) for the song Hey Ram.”

Excited about attending the ceremony in Ayodhya on Monday, the Teri Deewani hitmaker says he has customized his clothes for the big day: “Humare designers ne humari jacket pe Swarovski aur American diamonds se Jai Shri Ram likhwaya hai. Another jacket has the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and Jai Siya Ram written all over. The atmosphere in the country is like that of a family celebration.”

Ask what continues to draw him towards devotional music and Kher says, “Humko choose nahin karne dete daata. I remember the day when I came to Mumbai with nothing and told God, ‘Humara haath pakadne wala koi nahin hai’. Today, I have 50 people in my team.”

When Kailash Kher first entered showbiz, he was told that his voice “wasn’t suitable” to be picked for mainstream heroes and that his future in music might not be promising. However, with the release of the song Allah Ke Bande (Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, 2003), followed by the 2006 hit album Kailasa, Kher quickly became one of the most sought-after singers. 

Exclusively sharing the news that he is gearing up to release a new album, his sixth, Kher shares, “While others were releasing songs with lyrics like Bheege Hoonth Tere, I aimed to redefine romance in a way that hadn’t been heard before. I strived to express emotions differently, and it resonated with the audience. Even my romantic songs have a spiritual touch, and that carved a place in people’s hearts, creating what we now call Kailasa.”

Talking about the upcoming album, he says, “Oh Diljaani will be my sixth album and is coming after six years. I had plans for an album in 2019, but the pandemic halted those plans. I didn’t want to disappoint my fans with subpar songs, so I took my time to create eight tracks that will connect with people on a deeper level.”

He emphasises that the genre he has created doesn’t fit into any existing category. “I write about the simplest things in the most unique way. I feel baat chaahhe be saleeke ho magar, baat kehne ka saleeka hona chaiye. I am a common singer with an uncommon sense of expressing things,” ends Kher, who says that the first track, titled Diljaani, is set to release on December 21, with other tracks dropping at intervals of 15-30 days.

Singer Kailesh Kher recently called out the “big people” of the industry for replacing him in a song without any prior information. While talking to Bollywood Thikana, he opened up about not getting his due credit for a track he recorded for Aziz Mirza’s 2003 film, Chalte Chalte, which stars Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles.

“I was called to sing a song that was written by Javed Akhtar in the film. I thought if such a big director is calling me, it must not be for nothing. These are big names. So, I went there and sang a song,” recalled the singer, adding, “Gaana bhi ek dum aise pehelwani type ka. It took a lot of effort to sing it.”

But, the Yun Hi Chala Chal (Swades; 2004) singer shared that he received his “first setback” upon finding that he had been replaced. “When the first audio CD of the film came, it didn’t have the name Kailash Kher. It had someone else’s name. I thought, ‘bade aadmi bhi choti harkat kar sakte hain’,” he said, adding that the incident taught him to never get too attached to or affected by the film industry.

Kher also recalled how Akhtar once said that it was their (makers’) loss if they did not keep his voice in the film. “Javed saab said, ‘Iski alag khusboo aur chamak hai, yeh apni pehchan bahut tagde mein banane wala hai.’ We worked together in Swades later and he told me this then,” he recalled.

Intolerance, says Kailash Kher, isn’t an attribute that’s becoming increasingly  prevalent  in Indian society alone. “Look at what’s happening across the globe anyway. There’s intolerance even in nature. The number of landslides that we see today is unprecedented. As for human beings, we’ve grown increasingly irritable. At a restaurant, if we don’t find something that we like, we’ll immediately run away. It has become part of our lifestyle. If we live on fast foods, isn’t that the kind of energy we will harbour as well? So, this intolerance is not specific to Indian society alone.”

Kher is addressing our questions on the apprehensions that a director like Amit Rai must have harboured while creating OMG 2, given that portrayal of Hindu deities always ignites strong reactions from certain sections of society. Pleasing each and every individual, he says, “isn’t a feat that even God could accomplish”. “Then how can we?” he asks, making a reference to atheists.

Evidently then, he no longer designs his music with the aim of appeasing an audience. What he does attempt to deliver, however, is a balm that can heal individuals struggling to deal with their daily lives. “Ho Tayyar is a motivational number, and one that is the need of the hour. When you are sad, or pessimistic, this song can help you become optimistic. It helps you realize that you shouldn’t approach God to only ask for things, you should approach him to express gratitude too. In the film, the protagonist doesn’t find success. When he loses hope, he finds the ability to get motivated again. Today, people are afraid to fail, and lose hope easily. This song is a message to them.”

Kher is aware that the song offers that come his way do not fit the template of a commercial Bollywood offering. Yet, they are the ones that serve as the crux of the offering he is appointed for. Mere Nishaan, his previous track for this film’s first edition, is a case in point — it became one of the most prominent tracks of the Paresh Rawal-starrer, after all.

Rendering a commercial Bollywood number, Kher agrees, may “make me look like a clown”. “I am offered songs of a particular kind. These are not numbers made for entertainment alone. I [create them] for the soul. I ask myself if I am moved by the song, or emotionally driven by it. If it affects me, then I believe there will be others like me who will also benefit from it. [My Indian fusion band, Kailasa] is fortunate to have entered this industry to give spiritual music a push. We made it fashionable. Spiritual inclination is increasing as well.”

In May last year, singer KK walked out of an overcrowded concert venue in Kolkata feeling uneasy and hours later, he was dead. Singer Shaan’s concert in December 2022 in Hooghly, West Bengal, saw a stampede-like situation that left many injured. Last month, a bottle was thrown at singer Kailash Kher during his show in Hampi, Karnataka. Most recently, singer Sonu Nigam was manhandled during an attempt for a selfie at his concert in Mumbai. All of these incidents have added to the growing concern of mismanagement and safety, or the lack of it, at live shows.

Instances of mismanagement largely occur when the crowd gets unmanageable, says singer Divya Kumar of Jee Karda (Badlapur, 2015) fame. “Organizers are so keen on doing an event that they forget other issues. They think, ‘Artiste ek baar aa jaaye, baaki hum handle kar lenge’. That leads to mismanagement,” he says, as he goes on to recall a gig of his with composer-singer Amit Trivedi in Prayagraj (UP): “It was a college show. Ground mein maara-maari chal rahi thi. While performing, a bottle was thrown at my co-singer. There was some substance in it, but we couldn’t figure out what it was. We stopped [the concert] immediately. Amit sir was upset, he said we won’t perform.”

“Cheezein toh bahut improve hui hain,” says Kher, adding, “But, the craze for selfies has gripped everyone. People get overexcited, forget their limits and how they should behave. Organizers apne level par achha sambhalte hain, but the crowd goes berserk and security lapse ho jaata hai.” But, the singer admits artistes’ green rooms are “more secluded now”.

Composer-singer Salim Merchant says, “It’s very easy to blame the organizers. The one thing that’s taken for granted is that people attending will be well-behaved. One organizing team can have 100 security persons, but what about the 15,000 who come for the show? In Sonu’s case, the person (wrongdoer) was the organizer of the show. How do you stop this?”

Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya is also of the opinion that when venues tend to get unexpectedly overcrowded, organizers are in a fix despite having security measures in place. “In Mumbai, venues are small. The crowd turnout is at least 10,000, even if the capacity is 5,000. How can anyone control this big a crowd?” he reasons.

During singer Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa’s performance at Hampi Utsav 2023 in Karnataka, a water bottle was hurled onstage. The reason? Audience members wanted to hear Kannada tunes. Kher, in an exclusive interview with us, addressed this earlier and said, “We had a surprise set planned, as I wanted to pay a musical tribute to (late actor) Puneeth Rajkumar sir. I had prepared a medley of the hit songs, and the plan was to perform it toward the middle of the show. But those guys lost patience.”

While the two people were arrested immediately, the music fraternity believes no performer should have to face something like this. Singer Raghu Dixit, who also performed at the fest, tells us, “The organizers need to [keep it] in check to avoid these incidents. I highly condemn the act of throwing anything on an artist, but I don’t believe anyone is at fault here because the singer had songs planned and the audience couldn’t wait any longer.”

Another artiste at Hampi Utsav, singer Pallavi MD, says, “It is a huge festival that invites multiple artistes, but it mainly hosts singers who have performed in Kannada. However, singers who come from other states should also perform in the local language so that the audiences can connect. Maybe a song or two to kickstart the setlist would have calmed the audience.”

Meanwhile, singer Sonu Nigam says, “A very small number of disruptive people are found everywhere and in every country. Thankfully, they are inconsequential.”

I believe Kailash Kher performed much after midnight that day, and the audience got very restless. But I highly condemn the act of throwing a water bottle on an artiste.

It’s a one-off incident. Let’s not give power to it. There are all kinds of people in the audience, mostly appreciative.

It is a big no-no to throw anything on stage or hurt artistes when they’re performing. However, singers who come from other states should also perform in the local language so that the audiences can connect.

A plastic bottle was hurled at singer Kailash Kher during his band, Kailasa’s performance at the Hampi Utsav in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka on Sunday. “It was such an energetic crowd of close to 50,000 people and everyone was singing along. Par har jagah kuch log hote hain jo zyada excited ho jaate hain. Two impulsive young boys got restless,” says the singer.

Recalling the incident, he adds, “They wanted to hear Kannada songs. Since we had a pre-decided sequence of the tracks, I asked them to have patience. We had a surprise set planned, as I wanted to pay a musical tribute to Puneeth Rajkumar sir (late Kannada actor). I had prepared a medley of the hit songs I had sung for him. The plan was to render it towards the middle of the show. But those guys lost patience,” Kher tells us.

The Teri Deewani singer adds that the atmosphere was so energetic that he didn’t even realise when the incident took place: “I continued with the performance. The situation was handled so well by the management and Karnataka police that I didn’t even come to know about the incident. I found out much later when my team informed me about it.”

The two locals, who threw the bottle, were immediately arrested by the police.