Today, on Friendship Day, the actor talks about the unbreakable bond that he has with his childhood friends. And, he shares memories of his growing-up years with one of his closest friends, Rochak Kohli, who is also a music composer
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; August 2, 2020)

From Chandigarh to Mumbai, and from radio and television to movies — Ayushmann Khurrana’s journey is undoubtedly a fascinating one. And through all these years, and the highs and lows that are part of it, the one thing that has been a constant in his journey are his good ol’ friends. In fact, for his buddies, he is still the young boy they would hang out with and not the star that he has turned into today. “I haven’t developed many new friendships over the years. I have childhood friends who are non-judgmental. They love and treat me just like they would before my stardom. For them, I am the same old Ayushmann and they keep me grounded by giving me honest feedback about my work. For instance, my friend Nishchay Trehan, we watched a lot of films together since childhood and he is very critical about my work, so I appreciate his opinion,” explains the actor.

On the occasion of Friendship Day, the actor takes time to thank his childhood friend, music composer Rochak Kohli. Ayushmann says, “I have known Rochak since eighth grade. We went to the same school, St John’s Boys School in Chandigarh. We became friends as soon as we discovered that both of us are crazily passionate about music. We shared the common talent of composing and writing songs, which was rare for students in the eighth grade.”

Talking about the bond they share, Rochak told Bombay Times, “I feel our friendship is like water. It’s essential, and it takes any mould. We have been friends for a long period of time, and like water, our friendship is pure. I guess paani is our favourite word, too, because Paani Da Rang was our first song together (laughs!).”

Rochak has fond memories of the time when they were new to Mumbai, where they came to pursue their dreams. He recollects, “It was a big deal for boys who have been born and brought up in a comfort zone in Chandigarh. It was a whole new window to the world, which we explored together.”

Rochak says, “In Mumbai, we used to travel in local trains, and at times, we had no money. In fact, we went to Goa without money and did odd jobs there to buy food. Looking back, I now cherish these memories, and I think that’s what brought us so close. We have been together through thick and thin. We married the girls we were dating since college, so the four of us are like a family now.”

Ayushmann shares some memories, and talks about an old picture clicked during their college days. The duo, along with a bunch of boys, flaunted their shaved heads for a college play. “I think we were getting ready for one of our performances in college (DAV College, Chandigarh). In this picture, we also have other friends — Kumar Saurav, Jaiveer Singh and Mayank Choudhary. We started this theatre group in college called Aaghaaz, and this play was called Kumaraswami, in which I was the lead character. All the boys went bald for it. Rochak and I have done a lot of plays together. In the first year, we were together in the Greek play Spartacus. In the second year, it was Kumaraswami, which is when the picture was clicked, and in the third year, we were part of Andha Yug, and my character’s name in it was Ashwathama.”

Ayushmann says that even today, he is in touch with his school friends. “In fact, Rochak and I have been in touch with our school and college friends, too. We are in touch with 40 other boys, who were part of our section in school. I think that’s what makes it easy for us to deal with the adversities,” he says.

Currently, Ayushmann and Rochak are in Chandigarh with their respective families. The actor is taking this opportunity to connect with his buddies. He signs off, saying, “We are keeping our meetings very minimal because of social distancing. At times, I just meet my buddies like Rochak or Nishchay or my theatre group friends like Gautam Sharma, Gurpreet Saini, Aviral Gupta and Charandeep Kalra.”


Ayushmann Khurrana and Rochak Kohli, along with their friends, had shaved their heads for a play during their college days

BOMBAY TIMES (June 25, 2020)

Sushant Singh Rajput’s untimely death by suicide has shaken up Bollywood and resulted in a lot of issues and grudges – that were simmering for a while – surfacing in the public domain. Over the last week, the biggest topic of debate in the entertainment industry has been the alleged powerplay in the Bollywood music space and how it is supposedly controlled by a few music labels. It all started when Sonu Nigam, in a vlog, said, “I want to request everyone and especially our music companies to be kind because today an actor – Sushant Sigh Rajput – has passed away, tomorrow you can hear the same about a singer or a composer or a lyrics writer because unfortunately there is an even bigger mafia in the music industry than in the film industry.”

He further added that young and struggling musicians are distressed because “the composer would want to work with them, the producer and director would want to work with them but the music company would say ‘no, this is not our artist’. This is not right that the power is in the hands of two music companies only.” He also made the charge that “Even directors and producers are not happy because they are not being allowed to make the music that they wish to.”

The video sparked a debate with charges and counter-charges flying. Later, in a second video, after a few names from the industry spoke to the media and contradicted these charges, Sonu named T-Series’ Bhushan Kumar and alleged that Bhushan was trying to forcefully counter his views by getting other singers to speak against him. Soon after, Bhushan’s director-actor wife Divya Khosla Kumar called Sonu “thankless” in a post and accused him of selling “lies and deceits.” T-Series is by far the biggest player in the Hindi film music industry, with an estimated 50% market share. —TNN
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‘THIS INJUSTICE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. MUSICIANS GET DUMPED FROM FILMS IF THEY ARE NOT PART OF A LABEL’S ROSTER’

Several veterans of the music industry came out in Sonu’s support after he posted the videos. While Alka Yagnik just said “Yes, it’s true I am with Sonu on this... and most of us senior singers are too,” and chose not to elaborate further on this, others shared their experience of having dealt with this “injustice.”

BHUSHAN KUMAR COMPLETELY SCRAPPED THE MUSIC WE HAD COMPOSED FOR A FILM: SALIM MERCHANT

Salim Merchant, one half of the composer duo Salim-Sulaiman, says, “Usually, big labels do not interfere with the music or the composers; once in a while, they may tell us to include a song from their bank in a film. But T-Series says, ‘Salim-Sulaiman ko hi nikal do. We will get our own composers and singers’. Unless the film’s producer is an A-lister or somebody in the same league, Bhushan Kumar makes all the decisions. There are many who have gone through this. Sonu Nigam is absolutely right, this has been going on for a while now – this injustice against creative people, including singers, who get dumped because they are not part of the roster of his label.”

CREATIVITY CONTROLLED BY THOSE WHO HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT CREATIVITY: ADNAN SAMI

Sharing his thoughts online, Adnan Sami wrote, “The Indian film and music industry needs a shake up. Especially in the context of music, new singers, veteran singers, music composers and music producers – who are being exploited to the hilt. Why is creativity being controlled by those who have no clue about creativity and are trying to play God? Is all that we have to offer is remakes and remixes? Stop this and allow the truly talented new and veteran artistes to breathe.”

TODAY, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN’T SING AT ALL, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES IN THE LIMELIGHT: MADHUSHREE

Madhushree, who has often given her voice to A R Rahman’s projects and songs like Kabhi Neem Neem, Tu Bin Bataaye and In Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein,says, “Nepotism and music mafia have always been there. But earlier, there were really good singers, too. Today, there are people who can’t sing at all, but they are the ones in the limelight.” The singer says that she has had to face a lot of discrimination in the Bollywood music industry throughout her career and “all kind of tricks were used to ensure that my voice does not reach the public.” “But I am very grateful to A R Rahman ji who gave me so many superhit songs,” she shares.

A FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR IS ARM-TWISTED WHEN IT COMES TO CREATIVE DECISIONS ABOUT THE MUSIC OF HIS FILM: CLINTON CEREJO

Clinton Cerejo, who has composed for films like Kahaani and Badla, apart from other non-film work, says, “If I’ve spent two years working with the director and creating songs and a score that are cohesive, and two weeks before the release the label suddenly decides that they are going to use one of their own artiste’s songs as a ‘promotional song’ and that artist becomes the face of the film in the eyes of the public, it’s not fair to me. This happened to me on multiple occasions and it used to bother me. I decided to just move on and focus on my own journey as an artiste.”

Cerejo adds, “If a director is senior, he cannot be arm-twisted beyond a point, but a first-time director will often be completely disregarded when it comes to making creative decisions about the music of his own film. That’s one of the reasons why there’s very few current songs in Bollywood that will stand the test of time.”
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‘THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DOES NOT FUNCTION THE WAY BOLLYWOOD FUNCTIONS. IT’S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL, NO OUTSIDER BIAS’

Some, like singers Shilpa Rao, Jubin Nautiyal, Amaal Mallik, composer Rochak Kohli, lyricist Manoj Muntashir and singer-composer Sachet Tandon didn’t agree with Sonu’s claims of the music industry being biased and favouring insiders.

THERE IS NO OUTSIDER BIAS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. WHAT YOU GET IS TOTALLY BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK: SHILPA RAO

Shilpa Rao, the voice behind Bulleya and Ghungroo, among others, says, “The music industry does not function the way Bollywood functions. It is a different animal. I feel there is no outsider bias in the music industry. What you get is totally because of your work. I have been here since 2007 and in this industry, it is about how you sound and what you bring to a song. There are people giving songs to absolute newcomers too. Experimenting with newer voices is not a problem here.”

TODAY, ONLY GOOD CONTENT MATTERS: JUBIN NAUTIYAL

Singer Jubin Nautiyal said to a channel, “Today, it’s more content-driven. Even a small song from anywhere can turn out to be a huge hit. Nepotism can be one of the factors that affected the industry in the past, but today, what matters is good content, talented artists and good sound. That’s what every music label or producer is looking for.”

IT WASN’T EASY FOR ME OR MY BROTHER ARMAAN BECAUSE OF OUR SURNAME: AMAAL MALLIK

Talking about nepotism, Amaal Mallik, who comes from a family of musicians, had said, “A lot of people have the notion that it must have been easier for me because I had the Mallik tag. But I don’t feel it’s right. I agree I have an advantage. I know how things work. I have seen the failures of my family members so I know and that’s the only difference. I have been doing this since the age of 19 but I got my first film at 24.” Speaking about his first film, he added, “I miserably failed in that film and that song didn’t work despite being on such a huge scale. For one year, I had no work. I don’t think anyone repeated me, just like it’s with other newcomers. It’s not happened overnight for me and my brother. Maybe, it’s even a bit tougher for people who have a name.”

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS A VERY PROGRESSIVE PROCESS: ROCHAK KOHLI

Music director Rochak Kohli added, “When I approach a singer for a song, I always tell them that I want to try you for this song. And we will try our best to keep your voice in the song because things change. It's not just for new singers. I also tell the same to people like Arijit (Singh), or Jubin (Nautiyal) and Sachet (Tandon). Everyone understands. Singers come up to me and tell me they want to sing maximum scratches. The singer also gets his taiyaari and his voice also reaches out to a lot of people. It’s indeed a very progressive process.”

Nikita Deb (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 5, 2020)

“Jubin is a very talented singer. He had earlier sung a song in my movie Hate Story 4 (2018). I knew him from before and I had always been a fan of his music. When I heard this track, and found out that it was going to be sung by Jubin, I immediately knew that I wanted to be part of it,” says actor Ihana Dhillon, who features in a new track by Jubin Nautiyal, titled Meri Aashiqui.

The song, which has been composed by Rochak Kohli, is a sad, romantic number, and has garnered over 13 million views on YouTube within three days of its release. “It’s a soulful track, and people are loving it. We have put in a lot of effort into the song and it was totally worth it. Working on this song was one hell of a ride. We shot the song in the north eastern state of Meghalaya, and sometimes, it was incredibly difficult to reach the location. We often trekked for hours to reach the location,” she says.

This is the first music video that Dhillon has featured in, but she says that if a song is beautiful and she likes it, she wouldn’t mind doing more such videos. The actor also says that she had three to four film releases scheduled for this year, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, everything has been postponed for now. I also have a web series that is coming out soon,” says Dhillon, who will next be seen alongside Ajay Devgn in Bhuj: The Pride Of India.

The actor insists that she is very “choosy” about her work, and is very conscious about always doing different kind of roles. “For me, content matters more. The digital platform has become huge and therefore, it doesn’t matter to me if I am working in a movie or a web series. Acting is my passion and I love acting, but besides, I also have other business ventures, so I am not greedy for work. I take my time and choose my projects very carefully. But yes, I am never going to leave acting,” she signs off.

Ayushmann Khurrana has lined up a special surprise for moms on Mother's Day
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 9, 2020)

The stay-at-home period has given Ayushmann Khurrana a breather from his acting commitments to pursue other creative hobbies. Over the past few weeks, he has often shared poems about life during the Coronavirus lockdown, the valour of the frontline workers and other subjects he holds close to his heart. The actor has lined up a special surprise for moms on Mother's Day tomorrow — he will be launching the single, Maa, that he created with friend and frequent collaborator Rochak Kohli.

Though the duo had developed the song years ago, they rendered it only recently amidst the lockdown. "The spirit of motherhood has always amazed me, and I am glad to celebrate this ever-nurturing force through the song. Rochak and I will be singing this track together. It is an honour to dedicate it to mothers who selflessly shape our lives," says Khurrana. The number has been penned by Gurpreet Saini.

After releasing the single on YouTube, lyricist Manoj Muntashir says platform more artiste-friendly than music labels
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; April 4, 2020)

Commercial success was the last thing on Manoj Muntashir's mind when he, along with music composer Rochak Kohli, released Sambhal Lena on YouTube and other streaming platforms directly. However, the success of the single, which revolves around the pandemic, has helped the lyricist realise that the platform offers more lucrative opportunities to artistes than the big music labels in the market. "Rochak and I handled the song's distribution and put it up on my YouTube channel. We didn't need a music company to push us," he shares enthusiastically.

The success of the track has encouraged the lyricist to release more solos on his YouTube channel. "If the song is a hit, I get money from YouTube from the word go, once I get it monetised. Besides that, the other streaming platforms are also paying me. When I create a track for a producer, I get paid for penning the lyrics, but I don't own the number. Here, the rights rest with me. Hypothetically, if I release 10 songs of which two become popular, the royalties I earn off them will cover 20 more songs."

The actor has sung a ballad for Junglee Pictures’ upcoming film, Badhaai Ho, which is his seventh collaboration with composer-friend, Rochak Kohli
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 4, 2018) 

After collaborating with composer Rochak Kohli on Vicky Donor’s “Pani Da Rang” and Nautanki Saala’s “Saddi Gali”, followed by four singles — “O Heeriye”, “Mitti Di Khusboo”, “Yahin Hoon Main” and “Chan Kitthan” — Ayushmann Khurrana has now lent his voice to a seventh song. This love ballad, “Nain Na Jodeen”, which releases today, is for Junglee Pictures’ upcoming slice-of-life comedy, Badhaai Ho.

Picturised on the 34-year-old actor and his leading lady Sanya Malhotra, it was filmed in Delhi at the duo’s workplace and their residences.

“It’s a Punjabi song, in the same zone as 'Pani Da Rang', 'Saddi Gali' and 'Chan Kitthan', a space that comes naturally to us. It’s the only romantic song in the film showcasing a rough patch that Sanya and my character goes through and so has a bittersweet feel to it. When they approached me to sing it, I loved it so much I immediately agreed,” informs Ayushmann, adding that he loves singing and is usually busy with his musical gigs when he isn’t working on a film.

Rochak is Ayushmann’s school friend and they share the same sensibilities in music. “We had formed a band in college and were a part of the school choir too. We have done musicals together and in the eight standard would bunk classes with the excuse that we had to prep for the annual day event and would spend hours in the music room. The teachers never objected as they enjoyed our songs,” he reminisces, adding that they had even formed a theatre group in Chandigarh with Rochak as the president and him as the vice president. “Rochak would not only act but write lyrics and compose music for the acts. He is multi-talented,” raves Ayushmann.

So, is there another single on the cards soon? “I have sung for both my upcoming films, Badhaai Ho and Andhadhun. If there had been a break between the two films, I would have definitely planned a single. Meanwhile, I’ve written some songs and composed a few too and will launch them at the right time and opportunity,” he promises.

Actor-filmmaker to release first Hindi single as independent singer and songwriter in August in collaboration with Rochak Kohli
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 27, 2018)

After writing songs for years, crooning some live at his concerts and recording a few others for the movies, Farhan Akhtar is taking his music one step up. Mirror has learnt that the man who has successfully worn many hats as actor, scriptwriter, producer, director, playback singer and TV host is now gearing up to release his first Hindi single as independent singer and songwriter.

A source close to the development revealed that while he has yet to title it, Farhan has not just penned the song but has also recorded it. “He is collaborating with composer-instrumentalist-lyricist Rochak Kohli, who is producing the single. They are also shooting a music video for it which will release in August,” informs the source.

Farhan, who has been travelling with his own band, has a number of chartbusters to his credit, including “Rock On”, “Socha Hai”, “Tum Ho To”, “Pichle Saat”, “Senorita”and “Dil Dhadakne Do”.

Earlier this year, Farhan sung his first Telugu song, “I Don’t Know” for Mahesh Babu’s political-thriller, Bharat Ane Nenu. The fast-paced catchy number introduced Mahesh Babu’s character.

Two days ago, the actor-filmmaker posted a picture of a bicycle with the intriguing caption “solo bike tour in beautiful Iceland”, gushing over the “fun times” and reminding himself to dress warmer the next time. Having learnt how he has pedalled his way to fitness and super model body, and knowing that he often goes off on trips alone to explore new countries, one thought that the “mystery shoot” at the edge of the world, going by an Instagram post, was just another break from the city.

The source, however, reveals that Farhan is currently in Iceland, being blown away by the icy winds from the North and the natural beauty around him, for the music video that they are shooting there.

Ayushmann Khurrana on his new romantic single with composer and school friend
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 14, 2018)

After three successful outings, including O Heeriye, Yahin Hoon Main and Mitti Di Khushboo, Ayushmann Khurrana and composer-friend Rochak Kohli have collaborated on their fourth single. Khurrana says, "Chan Kitthan is Rochak's original composition. It's a folk song. He has given a new melody to it. I recorded the song three times, as he is a passionate musician, who knows how to get the best out of you. I think I'm sounding great in the song only because of him."

The romantic number, produced by T-Series and penned by Kumaar, was filmed across picturesque locations like the Khardungla Pass, Tsomgo Lake and a school called Tashi Namgyal Academy in Sikkim. Ayushmann Khurrana enjoys working with Kohli, who has been his music partner since school days.

"Ours is an organic collaboration. We were part of the school choir and used to jam together. Most of the songs that we composed, be it Pani Da Rang [Vicky Donor, 2012], Sadi Gali Aaja [Nautanki Saala, 2013] or Yahin Hoon Main, are from our college days. I love working with Rochak," says Khurrana.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; April 3, 2018)

He’s a many-sided man. Showing off his acting chops on celluloid is only one part of it. Ayushmann Khurrana is a singer, composer, poet and now he’s found new love in shayari, too. He believes that if he only pursues acting, he will “get lost somewhere,” and this is where his strong sense of security stems from. The fact that he can tap in to his variety of talent, gives him that edge of confidence. Slowly but surely, he nestled himself in the showbiz game, where fate is fickle, but talent is lauded. He went through the grind, but he found his groove. And last year, he had an impressive run at the BO with films like Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. His upcoming Junglee Pictures’ and Chrome Pictures’ Badhaai Ho, is another film that’s driven totally by an innovative concept. In a free-flowing chat with BT, he talks to us about his take on life and acting, confesses that he’s never followed advice doled out to him on ‘how to behave like a star’ and how he’s never lost touch with reality. Read on...

You started working at the age of 17 on reality shows on TV, then you went on to become a VJ, anchor et al. Was it all a means to make it to the silver screen?
I always knew that I wanted to be actor. I started working when I was 17, but I was participating in reality shows, so I didn’t take it as a job. I was a part of the reality show wave in 2002. Back then, no one had seen non-fiction on TV and we had no reference point, so we all were just excited to see cameras around us. Not many know that I had done a fiction show called Kayaamat for exactly one month. I also did Ek Thi Rajkumari, though I don’t think anyone watched the show. That was the plan — I wanted to be on TV, but in such a way that no one watched me. I got paid while preparing to be an actor. Earlier, there was this notion that if you do TV you can’t do films. My experience of doing fiction, non-fiction, anchoring shows like India’s Got Talent, Just Dance and many more, gave me the confidence for my career. I realised that if you connect with the youth, you are home. Children love Varun Dhawan for the kind of films he is doing. If you can successfully connect with kids and the youth — you have cracked it.

Did you face the kind of roadblocks that many people who transition from the small screen to the big screen experience? However prepared you might be as an actor; the dynamics of the big screen are different…
I was told by industry people, “You are so normal; you are like just another guy. Why don’t you behave like a star? When you walk in, people should be falling for you”. But I tried telling them that I wanted to do real cinema and real stuff. I wanted to play roles that people could connect with. This was around 2007-08, at that time no one understood what I was trying to say. I would give auditions and people would say, “Woh star material dikhna chahiye”. I said theek hai, but I never took them seriously. I am glad that I was part of that phase of cinema that started in 2012 with films like Kahaani and Vicky Donor. Now, it’s caught on, content is the king and you have to own the character. It is not about being somebody else on screen, but discovering yourself.

Seeing success and rejection at the start of your career must have toughened you up for the journey ahead…
I am a passionate actor, but I am also very practical. I started with plan C to reach plan A. Like I mentioned earlier, I have had such a variety of experiences before I became a big screen actor, that now I don’t feel any sense of insecurity. Tomorrow, if I want to pack my bags and go back, I can do it. I can be a programming head in Shimla, do my morning shows and enjoy it. If my films don’t do well, I won’t feel insecure about the question, ‘what will you do next?’ I also pursue music passionately. If I only pursue acting then I will get lost somewhere. I need to do other things to make my life interesting. Only if you live your life fully can you translate all of that on celluloid. If you are only an actor 24/7, then what else will you do? If you are only surrounded by people from the cinema world, then, you can’t be in touch with normal people. I often go with my manager to the chai ki tapri, and talk to them about kya chal raha hai unke zindagi mein. The people who are sitting there and reading the paper, un logon ne shaayad meri filmein bhi nahin dekhi hai. Right now, I am a multiplex actor. Kuch bhi bolo, main abhi bhi single screen ka hero nahin hoon. I want to become one. I want to reach out to those people, hence I need to know them. A lot of my experiences also come from doing theatre in my younger days. I had formed two theatre groups in Chandigarh. In those days, we would travel from Chandigarh to Mumbai in second class sleeper compartments. We were 15 boys who would carry our guitars and dholaks and do street theatre. During our train journey, we would go from one bogie to the other and sing for the passengers. They would be so thrilled that they would give us anything ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 100. I have gone through these amazing experiences and that’s why I say that I am a trained singer, kyunki maine train mein gaya hai (laughs).

Well, now there are more opportunities for all kinds of actors to fit into the Bollywood space, owing to the kind of films that are being made. In your case, it appears that you were lucky to be there in the right place at the right time, too?
Life is like musical chairs, when the music stops, there has to be an empty chair next to you. Most of the time, it doesn’t depend on you. If I wanted to be an actor in the ’80s or ’90s, it would have been a lot tougher, because back then nepotism was prevalent, not now. I don’t think it happens now, as every day new directors, producers and actors are coming up. There is no filter that isko nahin aane denge. If you have talent you will survive.

Earlier, most of the strugglers would stand outside big movie studios, with stars in their eyes and wonder… kabhi entry milegi yahaan? Right now, the casting system is so streamlined, if you are talented and get selected for the audition, you can make it work. That’s how every few months we see debutantes doing well. We are living in a time when only talent counts.

After a great start in the movies with Vicky Donor, was there immense pressure about what to do next? Your following films Nautanki Sala, Bewakoofiyaan, Hawaizaada were disappointments at the box office. Did you grapple to find your ground?
Yes, there was pressure. I had said no to a lot of films even before signing Vicky Donor. I always thought that my first film should be really good. As an outsider, if your first film is not good, then you are finished. Nobody will give you a second chance. Post my debut, I had to choose something path-breaking like Vicky Donor, and I was not getting that kind of film again… Aisi filmein mushkil se banti hai. I went the conventional route and did films like Nautanki Saala and Bewakoofiyaan, which didn’t do well at all. When that happens, more than the pressure felt by the actor, the producer of his next film gets the heebie-jeebies. Today, when I listen to a film’s narration, I don’t look at it as what it will do to my image or the fact that isme mujhe kya karna hai. The priority is that the story should work in totality. If that is okay, then, I come to my part in the story. Initially, I would think about myself first and that’s been a learning process. As an actor you should not get lost in the crowd, you need to create a space for yourself.

Has success changed you? Do you view life from a different lens now?
The highs and lows that I have seen in the past 5 years have kept me sane. I always feel that success is very fickle, while failure is your friend, philosopher and guide. It teaches you a lot and makes you rational. In this volatile industry, things change every Friday. Apart from that, being a family man gives me a different perspective towards life. I became a father when I was 27, so I am not living the life of a bachelor or thinking… main toh superstar hoon, yeh ho jayega, woh ho jayega. I can’t do that, I have to think about the future as well.

Did you start off with ambitions of being a superstar? Today, are you aggressively ambitious?
Andar se sabhi ambitious hote hai. You are faking it if you say mujhe yeh nahin banna hai. But yes, I am ambitious as far as my craft and passion is concerned. I want to do good quality cinema and path-breaking roles. Beyond that, no one has control over what happens in this business.

You just wrapped up the Delhi schedule of your next Junglee Pictures’ and Chrome Pictures’ Badhaai Ho, directed by Amit Sharma. I believe that this one is also an unconventional story in the quirky space…
Yes, it is again a quirky film; I think I own the quirky film genre. Agar koi actor aisey film karna chahata hai, he should be told, ‘Ayushmann ke type ki film kar rahe ho (laughs)’. The best part of my character in the film is that he’s very urban in the office space and very desi when he’s home. Most middleclass Delhi guys are like that. They speak English in office, par ghar pe koi English bolta hi nahi. It’s a very cool story, though I can’t reveal too much about it.

While you career as an actor is flourishing, your passion for music has never moved out of focus. Did you dream of being a rockstar, someday?
If you love doing something, you don’t need to make time for it. You will figure out how to do it. Yes, I have always dreamt of being a rockstar. My friend Rochak and I had a band in school, and we would jam with geometry boxes and sing along. In college, we would do street plays with eight guitarists and a few guys on the dholak. Imagine the visual and the sound… it is overwhelming. It creates euphoria and madness. So in our heads we were rockstars and we would own that space. We would love performing in an all-girls college as our band was from an all-boys college. It was a crazy high.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 31, 2017)

Ever since its advent, social media has served as a great equaliser — Bollywood celebs share glimpses of their everyday life alongside their fans — and an enabler, letting everyone with an opinion voice it freely.

And while outrage is subsequently the new cool, Bollywood singers are using it to effectively rally behind a common refrain. They feel robbed of what is rightfully theirs — a sense of autonomy in their music and a more well-rounded equation with the stars they lend their voice to.

Mistaken identity
Neha Bhasin, the silken voice behind Priyanka Chopra’s burlesque act in “Assalam-E-Ishqum” from Gunday and the lilting “Jag Ghoomeya” from Sultan, expressed her disappointment not so long ago. “A little respect for the music industry wouldn’t hurt anybody. We are where we are with credibility and integrity,” she argued. The 34-year-old singer who rose to fame as part of a girl band which grew out of a 2002 reality show, was among the first to address the issue.

Composer-lyrcist Armaan Malik noted that he was mistaken for his singer brother Amaal Mallik by the media and leading actors at a comically alarming frequency. At an awards show, Aditi Singh Sharma, who lent her voice to the title track of Dhoom 3, was also mistaken for the “Baby Doll” hitmaker Kanika Kapoor.

Meanwhile, Armaan addressed the trend of actors taking up singing gigs for their films and also the much coveted opening act spots for international performers like Coldplay and Justin Bieber. “Leave the stage and mic to us, that’s our playground not yours,” he had said. He was seconded by Kailash Kher.

The lip-sync battle
Ayushmann Khurrana, a singer-VJ before Vicky Donor, acknowledges that many singers strongly believe actors shouldn’t sing. He asserts that there are only two others of his kind, Farhan Akhtar and Diljit Dosanjh, so singers should not be insecure. “In India, we consume music visually. We would listen to a song more if Salman Khan was lip-syncing to it than Arijit Singh,” he explains, adding that an actor like him realises his limitations as a singer. “In Dum Laga Ke Haisha, ‘Moh Moh Ke Dhage’ was a classical song. I’d never attempt that. It’ll always be Papon’s.”

Ankit Tiwari, who composed and sung “Galliyan” for Ek Villain, which also had a reprised version by Shraddha Kapoor, admitted that technology has made it simpler to tune voices and use singles for promotional purposes.

Assembly line
Ankit reveals that he’s met producers who’ve asked him to “get inspired” by certain songs before making new music. “As a result, most of our songs end up sounding the same. Unlike the West, where the final song is the singers’ alone, in Bollywood, everyone from the producer, director to the composer has a say,” he grouses, noting that if producers encourage non-filmi, pop songs with videos, it’ll change the face of music in India.

“Ours is an industry driven by superstars. They are the face of not only films, but also songs. Singers merely give playback. In commercial cinema, everyone wants to promote songs with known faces. So the need of the hour is to have singers and composers acknowledged at music launches,” the voice behind “Go Go Govinda” and “Jaaneman Aah”, Aaman Trikha, says.

To market, to market
Trikkha iterates that overseas, every artist is self-sufficient because of strategically cut out deals with music labels. “They have support from music labels with the commercial aspects of their work. They do promotional tours, gain fans and popularity. So what they invest in, they earn it back. This set-up doesn’t exist in India at all!” Aaman rants, adding the system needs to be changed from the origin up.

“Paani Da Rang” composer Rochak Kohli brings up a crucial argument, “The royalty system in the West is sorted and efficient. Not only singers and makers, but also programmers, engineers, musicians earn royalties. There’s a need for this in India if a strong, independent music industry is to be developed.”

Royalty matters
Kavita Seth admits that mutual trust and understanding between the fraternities is the ideal scenario but today’s world only understands the language of legal documents. And technicians suffer in the absence of a royalties system. Meanwhile, Ankit Tiwari recalls an event that gave him a new perpective on the status quo. “I was to perform at a charity event and was taken aback to learn that some of the funds raised was meant for senior technicians on strings, bass and dholaks and other recording artists from the ’70s–’80s who have no source of income today. Some of these technicians worked on key notes in 'Mere Rashke Qamar', which I remixed for Baadshaho, as well as the originals of other recent remixes, 'Keh Doon Tumhe' and 'Hamma Hamma'". Veteran singers Shaan and Sonu Nigam admit that the number of song offers has dwindled ever since they brought up royalty. “Even at the age of 50–60, musicians have to perform live to stay afloat. How is that fair? If I, as an accomplished singer, don’t use my work to fight for what’s right, who will?” Sonu asks.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; September 14, 2015)


So the simple pleasures this birthday? “I am in my home-town Chandigarh with my family. We’re all going to Kasauli which is an hour’s drive from our home. In fact you can see the foothills of the Himalayas from our home,” gushes the actor who celebrates his brithday today.

The entire family includes Ayushmann’s parents and his in-laws. During the past year the one major change in Ayushmann’s life has been that his wife and two children have joined him in Mumbai. Earlier they stayed in Chandigarh. “Yes, we are all together now, and that’s my best birthday gift. It’s basically to ensure the best possible schooling for my kids. Otherwise Chandigarh was just fine,” says Ayushmann.

Ayushmann has vivid memories of his birthday celebratuibs in his childhood. “I remember as a child, I’d get either a video game or a bicycle every birthday. I remember going to the store with my parents and they got me this really cool yellow bicycle. I wanted it in black or blue. But they said I’d have to wait for a couple of days. So, I just came home with the yellow bicycle.”

The actor is currently in the process of finalising a song for release. “My musical partner Rochak Kohli and I have zeroed in on two-three compositions. We’ll be releasing one of them.”

Music composer Rochak Kohli talks about the making of the lullaby-based Lalla Lalla Lori from Welcome 2 Karachi
Kasmin Fernandes (BOMBAY TIMES; June 26, 2015)

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 24, 2015)

Sneha Mahadevan (DNA; April 28, 2015)

Jackky Bhagnani joins the long list of actors who have sung songs for their films — like Alia Bhatt (Highway), Shraddha Kapoor (Ek Villain), Sonakshi Sinha (Tevar) and Salman Khan (Kick). Jackky has lent his voice for a song in his upcoming movie, Welcome To Karachi.

Singer-rapper Badshah was supposed to rap for a few portions in the song but he fell ill at the last minute and Rochak Kohli, the music director was left stranded. Rochak asked Jackky if he could try rapping. The actor began humming a few lines and after some practise was confident he could do it. A source informs, “Jackky has got the Gujarati accent for his character bang-on and that makes the song special.”

Jackky is happy with the way the song has turned out and says he would love to take to the mic again. The fact that he has been a fan of rappers like Eminem and more recently, Yo Yo Honey Singh, helped to a large extent. “Music is a huge part of my life, but like everyone else, I have just been a bathroom singer. We were stranded when the original singer couldn’t lend his voice so Rochak asked me to give rapping a shot. I was in Indore and Rochak took a flight, booked a studio and we wrote the lines then and there. Thankfully, the song sounds pretty cool. Also, it works perfectly in this scenario because so many young actors are singing for their own movies. Though I am not trained and I have no experience at all, I enjoyed it and would love to do it once again.”

Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 6, 2015)


There will be five-six members in the band. Surprisingly, Ayushmann’s long-term music partner and composing collaborator Rochak Kohli won’t be a part of the band. “Rochak will compose some of the songs for our concerts. But he cannot travel all the time to be part of the concerts,” says the actor.

Ayushmann is still meeting musicians who could be part of his band. “I’ve finalised one female drummer and flautist. I started jamming for the concert in Ahmedabad immediately after the release of Hawaizaada.”

He plans to hold other concert tours after the one in Ahmedabad. “We plan to hold a concert in Delhi and then we’re planning a concert in the US. There is a lot happening. I remember when I was desperate to turn actor, suddenly I got a call from Shoojit da (Sircar) and Vicky Donor happened. You never know where life will lead you.”

Ayushmann Khurrana on immersing himself into his roles, his failures and how he’s easily content
Prateek Sur (DNA; January 9, 2015)

Excerpts

Hawaizaada comes quite a while after your last film, Bewakoofiyaan (March 2014). Why the long gap?
Because it is the sort of film that needed this kind of a gap. It needed this sort of a distraction from other regular films to be able to work on such kind of a movie. This is the first time that I am not playing a quintessential urban north Indian Punjabi guy. I have moved out of my comfort zone and am playing a Marathi-speaking guy. I had to learn the language properly. Everything had to be perfect from the costumes to the set design to the music to everything. And this gap was created not just because of Hawaizaada but also because of my other film Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Now both the films are ready at the same time and you will get to see them back-to-back this year.

Why the production delay with Hawaizaada?
We shot extensively for 90 days. But we couldn’t shoot in the summers. The film’s backdrop required us to shoot in cool weather. Thus we had to wait for that a bit and then shoot.

After catching the trailer, many Maharashtrian viewers feel you haven’t been able to mouth the Marathi lines correctly...
This can’t be true. The films co-writer Saurabh Bhave, who has written a lot of Maharashtrian films before, was there throughout. I did workshops to get the accent and the dialect perfect. I gave multiple takes and reshots to make sure the dialogue delivery was perfect. Unless Saurabh okayed the word, I used to keep giving takes again and again.

With biopics being all the rage, was it a conscious decision to do one on Talpade’s life?
See, you can’t call this a biopic. The person is very real and he did make the first flight by a man, but as India was just a British colony that time, there is no record of the same. Thus, everything that we know about him is just hearsay. What director Vibhu Puri has done, is develop Shivkar Talpade’s character according to his own imagination. Not much is known about the real-life person and therefore, Vibhu had to develop a full story around this one character. All of it came from Vibhu’s imagination and therefore, you can’t call it a biopic in the proper sense of the word.

When your films don’t work, do you feel you’ve failed as an actor?
Any movie is a team effort. You can’t blame the actor if the film didn’t work and neither can I blame the filmmakers saying that their script was faulty. Its a collective affair and all the factors have to work equally well to make a successful film. And you can never predict what audiences would like and won’t like. You can have the best of everything in a film and still end up being a dud. And you may have everything unconventional where the movie might do wonders at the ticket windows.

You started out the same time as Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor and others. In terms of films and popularity and success thereof, they’ve left you far behind. Where do you think you failed?
I guess we all debuted the same year, but I got the most Best Newcomer (Male) awards that year. Also, I guess none of them have got an award for singing. I have. That’s where I stand apart from them. Also, I don’t crave much, am laid back and am content with what I get. That’s not to say that I’m not hungry for popularity. By now, I’ve seen so many rejections in life that I’m just happy being able to act and sing. I’m happy with my mild success. I’m okay with mild love. I just want to live a normal life with the people I love.

You’ve gone solo with this film’s music composition. All well between you and Rochak Kohli.
Yeah, yeah... all’s well between us. This time, I decided to try out something, solo. So did he. It was a new experiment for both of us and we hope it works with the audiences. We will definitely be working together in coming months again.

You began the actor-singer trend with Paani Da. Now, every other actor is singing in films. How do you differentiate yourself now?
With no offence to anyone, I sing professionally and it’s not just a hobby for me. I’ve won awards for singing. I have written songs. I’ve composed songs. Also as far as actor-singers go, there’s barely a crowd. Plus, all my songs have been very popular with the masses. All these things differentiate me from others.

Harshade Rege (DNA; September 29, 2014)


Band baaja
The band will have about five members but names will be revealed later. Ayushmann says, “Forming a band is a process, it’ll take at least two more months for us to announce the whole team. But it will definitely have my friend Rochak Kohli, with whom I have worked on many songs.” Besides forming the band, Ayushmann is also all set to release his next single Mitti Di Khushboo, composed by Rochak, in October.

Music on his mind
Speaking about the band’s sound, he says, “Punjabi music is expected to be fast and pacy, but the sound of our band will be alternative Punjabi rock. The kind of genre that Paani Da Rang, Sadi Gali and Mitti Di Khushboo fits in.”

Bollywood and music
Apart from music, the actor is also busy with movies. He has Hawaizaada, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Hamara Bajaj in his kitty. And though he is busy shooting, Ayushmann says he is confident that he will be able to find time for his band. “We jam almost everyday. Music is something I am extremely passionate about. I do my riyaaz after my shoots. I did train for a few years, but I am not a classical singer. However, I know that there’s certain quality to my voice that sets me apart,” he says.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 10, 2014)

He may have had only one release this year, but as far as his singing career is concerned, Ayushmann Khurrana continues his prolific streak. Mirror has learnt that the actor for the music video of his next single has teamed up with Huma Qureshi. The video, shot in Mumbai and Thailand, has been directed by Amit Roy, who has helmed the yet-to-be released Running Shaadi.com.

Revealed a source close to the development, "The song is called Mitti Di Khushboo and is composed by Rochak Kohli--the same musician who worked with Ayushmann on Paani Da Rang (Vickey Donor) and Saadi Gali (Nautanki Saala). In this video, Huma plays Ayushmann's childhood love, a pretty village belle who he is longing for when he's abroad. The song is about rains, love, nostalgia and homecoming.

When contacted, Ayushmann, who is in Chandigarh for his brother, Aparshakti's wedding, confirmed the news saying, "Yes, Huma is a part of my next single. We were looking for a Punjabi girl and although she isn't one, she looks the part," says Ayushmann, adding that it was her performance in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana that prompted him to get in touch with her.

"I wrote to her after watching the film recently. She responded positively, heard the song and loved it. We had a great shoot. The song should be out by the end of this month," he informs.

Is acting taken a backseat? "No!" he protests adding, "My next film, Hawaaizada,was to release this year, but due to extensive post-production, it will now open in 2015. Meanwhile, I will start shooting for Hamara Bajaj by December."