Arijit on a song

He may have crooned many a hit number, but it is with Tum Hi Ho and Chahoon Main Yaa Na — from Aashiqui 2 — that Arijit Singh has found himself thrust in the limelight. And Arijit has further cemented his position as the singer to watch out for in B'town with his enthusiastic rendering of Dilliwaali Girlfriend, Illahi and the soulful Kabira from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Clearly, Arijit is on a roll — although he shrugs off the observation that his songs are ruling the charts with a modest "I'm happy the audience has loved my work". "Prior to Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, the majority of my songs were soft and romantic like Phir Mohabbat from Murder 2 and Phir le Aya Dil from 1920: Evil Returns. Dilliwaali Girlfriend, in contrast, has a very fun, Punjabi feel. As I was doing such a song for the first time, I was very nervous about the audience's response, but I'm so glad they liked it… I don't expect anything from my songs. I just sing them and hope that they go down well with listeners. The same was the case with Aashiqui 2. The response was overwhelming and it has made me very happy," said Arijit, in a conversation with this correspondent.

Incidentally — as seems to be the trend du jour — Arijit too started off as a contestant on a reality show, Fame Gurukul. "The show was what gave me an entry into this industry," he asserts. "I think reality shows are the best king of platform to bring out the young, not-so-visible talent in the country. That said, I do believe that if a singer is truly talented and the audience connects with his/her songs, then how old or young he is in the industry makes no difference."

The singer adds that for him, recording a song in a studio is as enjoyable as performing in front of a live audience. Of course, there's just that tiny bit of a preference more for singing live. "It's a magnificent experience. It's only in live shows and concerts that a singer can connect to the audience in a true sense," he tells us. Tum Hi Ho and Phir Mohabbbat are the songs closest to his heart.

When Arijit wants to relax, he loves to indulge in his other loves: food, cycling and photography. "I also like to read Bengali novels and short stories," he adds.