My price is passion, not money: Sukhwinder Singh

From 'Chaiya Chaiya' to 'Jai Ho' to the latest 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola', Sukhwinder Singh has made people groove to his Bollywood tracks. And today, he’s all set to create some dhamaal in Pune at Amanora Park Town for the Times Pune Festival.
“I am so excited about performing here. This is the city where all international concerts take place more than in any other city.Plus, this is a city where people are so well-informed about music. Pune is the landmark for classical music. Then there’s the Film and Television Institute here which has produced geniuses and genuine artistes,” says Sukhwinder.
In the last 12 years of his career, he has sung 110 songs. “But in the last six months alone, I have sung 40 songs. I made a change six months back — I announced to the industry that ‘Sukhwinder Singh will welcome new music composers’,” he says. Proof is some of his songs like Banjara from Ek Tha Tiger and Hum Toh Hain Cappucino from Kya Super Kool Hain Hum. “I have no issue about money. I just want to see the passion in these new music directors and then put my entire heart, mind and experience into their compositions,” says the singer, adding, “In fact one of the composers of the 17 that I worked with in six months even told me that ‘Your price is passion, not money’. I was also new when I went to A R Rahman so I want to give a chance to new talent.”
He describes how he met a 12-year-old music director from Orissa. “He paid me my biggest compliment. He gave me a chocolate after I sang a folk song and said, ‘I knew that you will sing well, so I carried the chocolate for you.’ That felt better than any award,” he narrates.
The singer says that music has no boundaries but referring to the recent tension between India and Pakistan, he adds, “We Indians go by ‘Atithi devo bhava’. The fact is that we give Pakistani artistes more respect than they get in their own country. We always welcome artistes and musicians from other countries but I feel that at least once we have to take a strong stand.” He reiterates the same about the case that rocked the nation — the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old in Delhi. He feels that celebrities carry a major responsibility and this should reflect in their reel and real life. “None of my songs are irresponsible. There are some songs that I have heard and I immediately think, ‘Why this?’. This is not tarakki (success). Sangeet mein log gaali de rahe hain. What is this nonsense? They reason that people listen to this. But no, you are making them listen to this by playing it. Kids today will think this is what’s ‘cool’. And honestly, nobody gives such lyricists any respect. They don’t represent the industry,” he says.
He stresses that Puneites will hear clean, romantic and fun songs. “It will be a show to remember,” he promises, adding, “We have a Mexican theme for our dresses and will croon and groove to Matru Ki Bijlee… It will be a one-of-a-kind show. The entire group with me is talented. We have singer Jasleen Matharu performing too and she’s a brilliant artiste,” he says. And he has plans of staying on in Pune because it’s a “picnic place”, and he wants to explore the city before heading back.
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