Dont call me nasal - HR

Himesh Reshammiya the first music director to win the Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer tells Subhash K Jha, why he couldn't attend...

Q: You've made history!
A: Yes, it's quite something. Unfortunately I couldn't attend because I had a prior commitment out of Mumbai. Also to be honest, at an earlier popular awards I was neither nominated for my music nor singing in Aashiq Banaya Aapne.

I felt baffled. Aisa kyon kiya unhone? Filmfare revived my hopes. And I was all set to catch a flight back to Mumbai. But got delayed and reached at 11.30 p.m. My dad did go to the awards. But twenty minutes late.

Q: For the first time a music director won the best playback singer award.
A: It doesn't mean that I see myself as a threat to the playback singers who were nominated alongside me. I do feel sorry that I didn't win the best music director's award. The award for the best playback singer is special because it's the first song that I recorded for a film. I don't think anyone else got an award for his first recorded song.

Q: People ridiculed you for being nasal.
A: That's over. After the stupendous sales of Aap Ka Suroor where I've explored my entire range, that has stopped. Now those who still call me nasal are just talking for talking's sake.

I've sung seven super-hit songs, the latest being Jhoom in Tom Dick & Harry which I predict, will be the biggest chartbuster of them all. I insist, I am not a professional playback singer. I'm a music director first. If I sing one out of my six compositions, what's the problem?

Q: Would you sing for other composers?
A: Only if A.R Rahman asks me. No one else. He's the No. 1. And he did say in an interview that Aashiq banaya aapne is his favourite track of the year.