He is a proud ‘west Delhi boy’, who in his own way popularized hip-hop as a genre to a generation. Sporting a salt & pepper look that his parents don’t approve of, Yo Yo Honey Singh now plans to re-establish himself.

“Jab main kamyab hua, maine nashe kiye, maine woh likha. Maine aiyashi kari toh visuals mein dikhayi. Mera dil toota toh woh gaaya… par maine apne logon se kuch nahi chhupaya. I don’t regret anything and I am in a good mood after a long time,” he says.

Does he regret anything? “Nahi yaar, galtiyaan bahut kari par regret nahi karta, kyunki galti ka realisation ho gaya ki yeh galtiyaan kari aur nahi karni chahiye thi. So I am blessed. Kuch log saari zindagi galti regret karne ke baad bhi usko apne system se correct nahi kar paate aur phir se wahi galti karte hain... uss loop mein fasey rehte hain. Galtiyaan hui par regret nahi hai kisi cheez ko leke,” says Honey.

Honey Singh, who had to take a break in 2014 for 18 months due to his mental health battles and substance abuse, points out that he never hid anything from his fans. “I am still on medication. I want to be associated with an organization through which I can support people dealing with issues related to mental health. Mujhe kabhi rehab nahi leke jaya gaya. Maine apni marzi se hashish aur daaru chodhi in 2014. Ab 2021 se badhiya chal raha hai,” he says.

Through his new work, Honey, who has hits like Desi Kalakar, Blue Eyes, Brown Rang to his name, plans to re-establish himself. “I’m in a good mood after a very long time. Peechle teen saal se main bimari se recover kar chuka hoon, kaafi badhiya chal raha hai. Mera confidence itna achcha nahi tha, dheere dheere develop ho raha hai. Honey 3.0 (2023) mein main dara hua tha, tab maine khud produce nahi ki woh album,” he says.

“Woh fear isliye tha kyunki 6-7 saal kaam nahi kiya toh craft nikal gaya,” admits Honey, adding, “Meri sabse badi ladayi khud ke saath hai kyunki maine Angreji Beat banaya, Party All Night banaya, Lungi Dance, Blue Eyes, Sunny Sunny, Chaar Botal Vodka, Aata Majhi Satakli, Yaar Naa Miley banaya toh yeh sab milestones thay. Kuch bhi kisi chiz se match nahi karti thi toh mere liye sabse bada challenge tha ki mera kaam pehle ke kaam se match na kare. People shouldn’t say that Honey Singh came back after so many years and he is doing the same thing. Aur mere saath ulta hua. Log uss waqt aware thay ki yeh aadmi har baar kuch alag karega (when he was working), people knew that this guy is insane and he is dropping something new every time. But mera music jab nahi aaya toh woh bhul gaye ki Honey Singh toh shuru se alag karta tha.”

While Honey’s songs were always a hit, his lyrics have often been termed as objectionable and misogynistic. Ask him about his opinion on this and he says, “I don’t give a s*** but I think I should answer this. Gulzar sahab likh rahe hain. ‘Beedi jalaile jigar se piya, jigar mein badi aag hai’, jigar kahan hota hai aurat ka? This is misogynistic for me. ‘Zuban pe laga namak ishq ka’, why is he talking about the tongue of a woman...main yeh sab sunke bada hua hoon. Sirf main hi kyun galat hoon? Main pehle bolta nahi tha, aaj bol raha hoon yeh baatein. Main pehle jawab nahi deta tha toh log kehte thay easy target hai, issi ke baare mein bolo. Iski na koi PR hai nahi jo iski image clean karegi, yeh leta rahega.”

Does he think his lyrics objectify women? “I am not objectifying women, aise thodi na hota hai. Pehle kaise kaise gaaane hote thay, woh ganon ki tarah liye jaate thay. Main Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai jaise controversial ganon ki toh baat hi nahi karta... par Honey Singh ko hi kyun gaali di jaati hai aur unko aap legend bolte ho? Main bhi bolta hoon. Hum dual personalities leke chal rahe hain aaj ke daur mein. Modernize bhi ho rahe hain par backward bhi soch rahe hain,” he says.

‘Proud to be from Karampura’ Honey, who is from Karampura in West Delhi, says, “Karampura hai ek refugee area. Mere bhi great grandfather Lahore se aaye thay. Woh lower middle class area tha lekin uske saath hai Punjabi Bagh – jahan bachhon ke paas gaadiyan thi, paisa tha. Toh woh (mera) inspiration tha. Hamare pita ji ne hum dono bhai behen ko kisi tarah karke Punjabi Bagh ke badhiya school mein dala. Mere liye initially ek inferiority complex tha ki kisi ko pata na chale ki main Karampura rehta hoon. Today I am proud that I am from Karampura. Main world mein kahin ghoomta hoon toh mujhe koi na koi West Delhi se mil jaata hai. They say, ‘Paaji, West Delhi for life.’”

He was at the perfect pitch of stardom. In the trance of super-success. He created any beat - desi or angrezi - and the nation rolled up their sleeves, pulled up their lungis and partied all night with abandon. More high on Honey, than any hard stuff. It was the reign of the Yo Yo Honey Singh brand of music.

Nothing could shake him; nothing could stop the rhythm of his rising stardom. So we believed. But suddenly, there was an interlude in this opus. Like the silent beat that exists between two notes. All Yo Yo fans kept dancing, while he disappeared, silently. For nearly two years. Without a final bow. Tabloids made headlines with rumours of him being in rehab because of drug overdose. Then, there were stories of his supposed mighty fall out with Shah Rukh Khan during an international tour. But they were all stories. And Yo Yo turned away and went on a long mute mode. After 18 months, he performed at a music award show, recently, picking up the notes from where he left, grooving to Lungi dance once again. But the past two years still remained a mystery, until now, when he broke his silence in this bare-it-all chat. He looked introspective and calm, rarely making eye contact. Maybe it gave him courage to say what he was about to.

“This is the first time I am talking about it as I want my fans to know what happened to me. Nobody knows about this, and I wanted to tell the world myself, not through a spokesperson. The last 18 months were the darkest phase of my life, and I wasn't in a state to talk to anyone. I know there were rumours that I was in rehab (for drug overdose), but I was in my Noida house throughout. The truth is I was suffering from bipolar disorder. It went on for 18 months, during which I changed four doctors, the medication wasn't working on me and crazy things were happening,“ he said, pausing, but determined to reveal more. “I must confess that I was bipolar and an alcoholic, which aggravated the condition.“

“It was scary. One year had passed and I wasn't responding to medicines, until a fourth doctor from Delhi treated me. At one point, I thought I would live in this darkness forever. I had cut myself off from everyone. I didn't come out of my room, forget stepping out of the house. I had a beard and I didn't get a haircut for months. For someone who has performed in front of a crowd of 20,000, I was scared of facing 4-5 people. That's what bipolar disorder does to you.“

So did his music give him some peace, some solace, I curiously asked. He breaks into a smile and says, “In that phase, I wrote 50-60 poems. They are like khuli shayari, so I can't make them into songs. One night when I couldn't sleep in spite of popping sleeping pills, I wrote and composed a song called Rise and Shine, after seeing my mom break down. She is the only reason I am here today.“

What did he fear the most? Losing all his stardom? “No, I didn't care about losing my stardom. I was scared about losing myself,“ he exclaims.Adding, “After the sun went down, I was scared of my own family. I wasn't behaving like myself. I was a sick person. I wasn't in my own control. But now it is all behind me and I've come out of it. I am under a doctor's supervision, and before doing this interview, I called and told him that I was going to tell the world about this. I think I'm not my own, or my parents' property. I belong to my fans who have made me. They needed to know, and this was the best time to talk about it. Today is also special as it's my birthday.“

Yo Yo is upbeat about performing at the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) 2016 in Dubai, which will be held in partnership with Gulf Air and in association with Sanjay Ghodawat Group, on March 18. His fans will throng to watch him perform live in the city he calls his own. He excitedly says, “I have performed with Shah Rukh bhai and Jacqueline Fernandez in the past, but not with Salman bhai. So I am looking forward to interacting with him along with my performance, if he is in the audience.“

Talking about SRK, what about his fallout with him, where apparently the actor slapped Yo Yo in rage. “Nothing like that ever happened. During my low phase, a lot of people visited my place, including Bhushanji (Kumar). I got calls from Shah Rukh bhai, too. Recently, I met him at a show and we were chatting about films and music. He is amazing, he's not just a great actor, but also a superb personality,“ he explains.

The mood was getting lighter. Sometimes, truth doesn't feel like honey drops, but once told, it's not that bitter either. Yo Yo had revealed all that he wanted to, and the most daunting part was behind him. Now, looking ahead we talk about how he will make up for lost time.“Luckily, four of my songs released even while I was ill, and they did so well. I am getting into the groove. I don't plan too much, just let it flow. Now, I want to work more on contemporary music, as I have done a lot of dance music. I am bringing back street hip-hop again. The whole music scene here is urban and international, as compared to 10 years ago when it was dominated by Bollywood music.“

The lyrics of his songs have, often been severely criticised. Will that see a change? He explains, “Every revolutionary poet or lyricist has been criticised for something. If you come up with something new, there will always be people who will object to it. We have to keep going and see what the masses are listening to. I don't care about the ratio of critics as they are in hundreds, but the fans are in millions. They are the ones who matter.“

Quiz him about competition that hit a high note while he was in his low phase, and he nonchalantly brushes it off. “I don't consider anyone my competition. I am secure about my music. When some artistes give a hit song, they keep repeating themselves in the same genre. I always try to create something new. I started with Angrezi Beat. Everyone wanted that, but I moved on to Lungi Dance, then Party All Night. I don't need to position myself, my fans will. They know the difference between a luxury car and an ordinary car,“ he said, breaking into a laugh for the first time in the conversation.

Yo Yo will also be seen acting in an intense Punjabi action-drama, Zorawar, though he is not really trained for this. “Acting is seriously tough; my Bollywood debut was also unplanned, but I enjoyed it. I am an entertainer, we have just one life and I want to try everything.“ So, will he ever pen down his life in a book?

He quickly says, “I will publish the poems I wrote while I was battling my dark phase, and let the world know that side of my life. Some of my poems are hard to understand, but now when I read them I feel...sher bimaar ho, tab bhi sher hi hota hai.“

It's time for Yo Yo to bring out a fresh array of his trademark sunglasses, maybe. After all, he is finally out of the darkness.

Yo Yo Honey Singh sang his first Marathi song for Rohit Shetty's Singham Returns. Talking to us about the Singham in his life, he said, “My mother is my only real-life Singham. She is selfish only when it comes to me, but if I am okay then she wants to help the entire world. She brings happiness to everyone she knows. She does not reduce pain, but spreads happiness. And I have learnt this from her. And that is why I am an entertainer. She is happy and nothing has changed for her. I have some friends from Virar, who are Maharashtrians and who have been telling me, 'Bhai, you have to sing a Marathi song.' I would say to them, 'Haan yaar, mujhe sikhao toh sahi.' Luckily , when I pray for something, it comes to me automatically. I suddenly got a call at night and Aata Majhi Satakli got made that night.”

Honey is so loved today, so I asked him if he ever feels insecure about being replaced and he said, “Rajaon ka replacement ho jata hai, fakiron ka nahi. Saare fakir shaayar the, hum bhi shaayari karte hain. Fakir toh loton ke saath mar gaye, but the world loves them even today.”

They are both popular Bollywood singers and music composers-turned-actors, loved by the masses and discussed by the classes. While Himesh Reshammiya is calm and composed, Yo Yo Honey Singh is a restless bundle of energy, we discovered in a candid chat with the two, who are co-actors in upcoming film, The Xposé. Excerpts:


How did the Himesh-Honey casting happen?
Himesh: There’s this character named KD (Kenny Damania), who had to have style, grey shades and yet, also has to sing a song. Hero bhi hai, villain bhi hai. When I thought of Honey, we had been working together for three years. We’ve given some great songs together that were commercial hits. So, I just called him up, he came and I was very happy that he accepted the role.


Since you guys are good friends, did you accept the role dosti-yaari mein?
Himesh: Aisa kuch nahi hai. Kaam toh kaam hota hai. If someone is not comfortable, why will he want to work with you?
Honey: Five years ago, when I was a music director in Punjab, one of my songs was a hit. Himesh had called me in Chandigarh at that time to tell me how much he liked it. No one believed me. He is a second-generation music-maker. His father was a music producer, so he has a vision. Himesh told me I could act in the movie. He showed me how things work. Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan also helped a lot. He is an institute by himself.


Honey, you’re already settled as a singer. What was the motivation to turn actor?
I don’t believe I’m a singer, I’m an entertainer. I write my own music, my own lyrics and I sing my own songs and act in my own videos. In the performing arts, acting is what I believe to be one of the toughest jobs. It’s lying proper... just looking into the eyes and lie. Ye maine socha ki karke dekhte hain.


Honey, you are making your film debut with a negative role. Why?
Honey: Main acting karna chah raha tha...
Himesh: Shah Rukh Khan sahab ne bhi negative ke saath debut kiya tha...
Honey: Woh toh bahut bada comparison ho gaya. People tell me I’ve become a hero now. I told them I’ve not become anything, I'll remain the same. Main Yo Yo honey Singh hi hoon, wohi rahunga. I loved the acting work. When sir called me, I had been travelling a lot and so, was keeping quite poor health. It might sound strange, but I had a packed travelling schedule. I found the shooting to be quite fun. At least, I got to stay in the same city for 20 days. I was here four days and on the last day, I thought to myself, ‘What am I still doing here?’ It was a very different experience compared to the life I had been living till then. It’s a nice feeling to have 15 people around you, asking you if you want to eat or drink anything.
Himesh: Honey makes 13 entries in the film. And all the entries are clapworthy. The larger-than-life setting helps. You will also feel like laughing at the traits of the stars of that time.
Honey: Unka plus point tha ki uss time paparazzi nahi tha. Toh woh sab kuch khule mein karte the. I thought to myself, ‘These days, the media will find two kids going on an outing and ask them what they are up to’. But in the sixties, when I heard what all was done khule-aam, I was quite shocked. I was told that this was how the industry functioned at that time. I found that very interesting.


Honey, have you been offered more roles after the promos came out?
I did this role with very little preparation, out of masti, to see what happens. I will approach my next role properly. Seekh kar aaoonga. And if people don’t like, I will learn more. Phir toh pukka karoonga. Sab kuch chhodke yehi karoonga. Right now, I want to focus on my music. I have been appreciated the most as a performer. I am doing what I have learnt and worked at for 10 years. Bollywood songs chal jaate hain. Last year, I had given Lungi Dance, Party All Night and Sunny Sunny, but I also gave an independent song called Blue Eyes, so that my young fans have something to relate with. I am working on five of my own singles. I am going to be in Los Angeles for a month for this.


You are also part of a new talent show on TV?
I am giving inputs for a show where they are looking for a raw star, like me, for instance. I tried to learn everything, but I didn’t have money, the circumstances weren’t right or the family wouldn’t let me. Toh main sab kuch chhod ke lag gaya ki yeh karna hai. Jab main sadak pe aa gaya toh main socha survival bhi zaroori hai. I worked as an apprentice for music programmers and sound engineers and learnt along the way. I became a music director in Punjab. When I was making many albums, I couldn’t find good lyrics, so I started writing my own. I started bettering my writing, understanding what slang is and how real people talk. Then I decided to go pan-India, so I started improving my Hindi speaking, writing and understanding. Delhi slang is different from Mumbai slang. I am learning even now.


Himesh, what is common between the two of you?
Honey has a heart of gold. He thinks with his heart. Success inke sar par nahi chadhi. He is a good human being and an intelligent guy. He is someone you can talk to at 2 am about anything. He is also a visionary, he has a different way of looking at things. As a composer, I have done 115 films. I have seen many people come and go, but agar koi lamba tik sakta hai toh woh Yo Yo Honey Singh hai.


Which Bollywood actress would you like to work with in the future?
Himesh: Deepika Padukone. I don’t know whether she would do a film with me, if at all. But she did say on record that if I offered her a film, she would do it. If I get a script that has a role worthy of her, I’d love to work with her.
Honey: Shraddha Kapoor. She is very urbane. The new set of Bollywood actresses can be girls-next-door and divas as well. If I do another role, I will do an urban film like my videos, which I shoot in international locations like LA. But when I talk, I sound like a regular guy talking to a girl. I would act with Shraddha because she knows international stuff as well as local.


Honey, what are these actions you do in your songs?
These were a few of the steps my choreographer had come up with, while we were shooting Blue Eyes. We do this every time we want to say ‘classic’ or ‘wonderful’. This other sign is like a very positive energy sign of the pyramids.


Is that a birthmark on your left arm?
Yeah, it’s a birthmark... stamped by God that I’m his special son.


You must have found the costumes in the film quite interesting...
It was fun. As Himesh said, at that time everybody was larger-than-life, on screen and off screen as well. We were wearing old-school suits.


You’ve become an icon for kids in a very short time...
It might seem short to you, but it takes time to reach throughout India without any help. If everyone knows you in India, it feels like people know you in seven continents. There is a diversity of people and cultures here. It took me time. I was working in Punjab for seven years. After singing in Hindi films, apne gaane bhi dheere-dheere chalne lage hain. Kids who follow me have been doing so for a long time. They know my Punjabi songs too. Now, I want to go international.


Does your popularity limit you in terms of lyrics?
Not at all. I am an entertainer, not a scholar. Main kisi ko sunane, sikhane nahi aaya. I am here to entertain. If I am making songs like Blue Eyes for those over 18, I am also making Bhoothnath Returns for the kids. It is the parents’ duty to tell their kids that Yo Yo Honey Singh bahut achha hai. Uske yeh gaane suno, woh mat suno. I write what I see. I make songs for fans, they relate to them and play them at parties. Aunty pe main gaana bana chuka hoon (Aunty Police Bula Legi), the new song I am making is called Uncle Ka Double Standard. Jitni hypocrisy Hindustan mein hai, woh hum kholenge. Bachche apne papa ko yeh gaana sunayenge.


The 1960s had a lot of big stars. Himesh, why is your role modelled particularly on Raaj Kumar? 
People say that, not me. Somewhere, he has seeped into the character. It was designed by Ananth. He felt that Raaj Kumar’s journey was interesting, from a cop to a superstar to a very arrogant man, always misunderstood. We needed a grey character like him in the film.


You’ve worked with Ananth Mahadevan over a period of time...
He’s a sensible guy. He has worked very hard on our characters, even on the junior actors. He has been lucky for me. I first tasted success when I was 16 years old, working with him on serials. Later, as a composer and singer, my earliest hit Jhalak Dikhlaja was in his film. My music for Dil Maange More was appreciated. In my hit film Aap Kaa Surroor, he was an actor.