‘My individuality is dear to me’

All good things come in small packages! And you can vouch for it after meeting singer Kailash Kher. He may be a powerhouse of talent, but attitude takes a backseat with him. He's playing judge in a reality show this year, and he tells NT about this experience and more.
Why a judge? "Yeh programme zarre se asmaan tak le jaane ki yatra ko puri karta hai.Our country is a big storehouse of talent that needs to be tapped, and that's what we are doing on the show."
But what about the regular telecast of those who can't sing well. Isn't it like ridiculing them? "Where you have potential singers, you will definitely have those who cannot sing at all. And anyway, this is an entertainment programme, and not an institution."
But aren't the judges adding to the masala too, with music composers like Anu Malik making rude comments? "The world is filled with a variety of people. Anu is one of them. But, his comments never affect me as he, like others, has his own way of conveying things. Besides, I've had my share of bad experiences to be affected by the so-called negativity thus created on the sets."
What about those winners who vanished in thin air after their share of fame? "No doubt it has happened, but then it entirely depends on the individual on how far does he want to continue with his passion. If one can sustain his dedication, he will certainly make a place for himself sooner or later."
On to his filmi work then. With all your songs having a distinct feel, do you deliberately abstain from a repetitive style? "When I sang Allah ke bande, my voice was totally unadulterated and uninfluenced, which paved the way for me in Bollywood. But, now, I first try to visualise the song, and try keeping the emotions, expressions, style and technicalities intact. For me, the sound and the energy is of paramount importance."
Touch upon the fact that his style of singing is compared to the late legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and he says, "It feels nice to compared with him, but at the end of the day my individuality and style will always be more dear to me."
But with the kind of experimentation happening with music today, does he feel it's somewhere hampering the Indian style of music? "Culture has changed and so has the understanding of music. Now novelty and experimentation in Bollywood is encouraged. But that doesn't mean that we are losing our Indian music. We still have music directors like Shankar Ehsaan and Loy and AR Rahman who despite experimenting with music, retain the sound of our Indian music."
What's more on the career front? "Our band has scored the music for Nikhil Advani's Chandni Chowk to China. This is the first time we will be making music for a Bollywood venture. Also there is Vinay Pathak's Dasvidaniya. I have sung songs for Rang Rasiya, Delhi 6 (with AR Rahman) and Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminay."
As he readies to leave, we throw him one last question. His music essentially deals with the theme of love and commitment. What's the source? "Someone who is singing and advocating love through his music cannot do so without experiencing it. I have experienced love and have always been in love."
JYOTI NISHA