Being part of the Mungaru Male franchise was magical: Armaan Malik

All of 21, Armaan Malik, who has been singing since he was 10, has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood. The dishy boy, who has garnered an enviable female fan following, recently lent his voice to three songs in Mungaru Male 2. Bangalore Times spoke to him in a freewheeling chat. Excerpts:
How was the experience of recording for Mungaru Male 2?
It was magical.I remember listening to Anisuthide from Mungaru Male, sung by my idol Sonu Nigam. To be the voice of such a legendary franchise and sing three songs was special. Sariyaagi, the theme song of the Mungaru Male 2, has got a lot of attention. It is also my favourite song out of the three.
How comfortable are you singing in other languages?
I've been singing for ads in many languages since I was 10, which led me to memorize key words of some languages. My mother (Jyoti Malik) is from Hyderabad and hence, my brother Amaal and I are comfortable with the language and accent. So now, singing in another language is not a problem. However, it does take longer to sing in a language you are not familiar with as, apart from the sur and taal, you have to keep 100 things in mind, like what the words mean, expressing them, and the accent. I've sung in Bengali, Tamil and Telugu.
Has so much fame at such an early age affected your life?
In the eye of the public, it is a sudden rise. But I've been in the industry for 10 years and have sung for movies like Bhoothnath, Tare Zameen Par and Chillar Party. Now, I consider myself a veteran (laughs). It was my childhood dream to be famous, and I am living that dream now. But there is still a long way to go. As for handling the fame, I am blessed to have parents who have kept me grounded. I've been well-trained by my dad (music director Daboo Malik) in handling success, as he has seen his fair share of struggle in the industry. The kind of love I have seen from people is immense ' and it would have gone to my head had my parents not taught me to be sane and humble. At home, I am as normal as it gets. I still run errands, like getting eggs.
Would it have been tougher for you to make it in the industry had you not been backed by your family who is already in it?
I started outside my family. My first song in Bollywood was by Vishal-Shekhar and called My Buddy in Bhoothnath. I also did things the hard way by participating in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. I came seventh in the show, which was also a feat in itself to achieve. People feel people from musical families are scared to take the challenge of participating in reality shows. But I wanted to compete with the biggest talents from India and show that we too can shine.
You are from a Hindustani classical background. Do you think you would have been this successful had you continued doing non-film music?
India is consumed by Bollywood. So, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made a mark had I just done non-film music. So I wanted to become a Bollywood entity, and then release other music as getting an audience would be easier.
You recently sung for a Pakistani film. How was the experience?
It was very special to sing for this UK-Pakistani production, Janaan. Also, it was nothing different from Bollywood. Music truly transcends borders as I got a lot of love for this song.
Do you also want to act sometime?
I might, but as of now, I am focused on music. I don't want to disturb how my career is going now. However, I will feature in my music videos. Later, when I am 26-27, I might try my hand at musicals like Aashiqui.
Do you have an actress in mind too?
Not really, but I like Deepika Padukone.
Are you single?
Yes. I need to be in love to be able to date someone, and as of now, I am not in love.
RAPID FIRE WITH ARMAAN
Actors you want to sing for: My check list started with Salman Khan as my first adult debut in Bollywood was with Jai Ho. As of now, I would love to sing for Varun Dhawan and Shah Rukh Khan.
The one song that propelled you to success: My first huge song was Main Hoon Hero Tera, the promo version of which was sung by Salman Khan. But the two songs from Hate Story 3 ' Tumhe Apna Banane Ka and Wajah Tum Ho ' catapulted me to success.
Your favourite out of your own songs: Bol Do Na Zara from Azhar
A song of yours that you would have liked to sing again, with changes: I had sung a very rough version of Tumhe Apna Banane Ka, which my brother released while I was away. However, now that it has already become a success, I don't want it to be re-recorded.
A song by your uncle, Anu Malik, which you would like to recreate:Roshni Se Bhare Bhare from Asoka.
Contemporary singers you like:Arijit Singh, Neeti Mohan and Divya Kumar.