| At that time when my parents and grandparents were there, entertainment was not looked upon as too much of respect and especially in Bengali household. Bengalis are very proud of education primarily and that's the reason why my grandparents did not pursue music as a their career. They are much better singers than I am. My mother is a doctor too though my mother's side no one is much in to music except my youngest massi she is a double M.A in music; but they all have a good musical ear. I was also encouraged to study I think the education was primary, everything that else came my way whether it was sports or anything else was no 2, 3, 4. Number 1 was always studies and that's the way I looked upon it. I think whatever has happened to me is more like a mishap, which was not meant to happen but it happened .I am pretty grateful to God and everybody would think I sing well because I personally think that I don't think I sing well that's a very big misnova. Why do you think so?
I have heard people like my father my kaka and they are much much better singer than me, they are fantastic singers. Medicine as been the main driving force in our family and all of us are very passionate about been doctors one exception being my sister she is a lawyer. She is a lawyer much because she could not get through medicine, she tried a lot but I think she is blessed to have become a lawyer because she is making much more money then always put together (he laughs).
How do you juggle with two different careers?
As first as I said it's in my blood so music is very natural to us. It's not something that you have to do as a … you would know people in Bengal everybody has some talent or other. Whether you sing or write, you do something and its part of you. It's something that is encouraged by your family, if you can sing, paint, dance you are encouraged So I was also encouraged to pursue my interest but I was never encouraged to take it as a full time profession and at the same time what happened was that I always inculcated good habits like I don't have any kind of socializing habits, I am a complete teetotaler. So what happens is that all the time I have is either dedicates it to working as a doctor or working as a musician. I think that's why I can juggle both the careers because I don't do anything else. I don't do a third thing. I think 24 hrs in a day is lot of time two actually pursue two careers at a time I am pretty sure about it and all the people who don't do it either don't do it because of lack of opportunities because everybody is not blessed like me ; or they don't do it because they have other pursuits in life somebody might say that after five thirty, six I would like to go out for a party, pub; but my thing is that after 5.30, 6.00 I would like to work again. So that's how I juggle both the careers. I think personal discipline. It's makes a big difference.
How do you perceive music and what does music means to you?
It's a complete expression of my personality. If you hear my song you will understand exactly the way I am, I personally think that all the people who are honest from inside would always give you an insight in to their personality with the words they write, or the singing they do or the music they do like I will give you an example like my father used to compose bhagan and that was his expression and at one point in his life he wanted to talk to God so it was his expression of life. The music I write, I think it's my expression my personality, the way I am, my character, my psychiatrics disturbances, imbalances or whatever it is .I think all of them comes out in my music. Music to me is worship it's like a religion. It's very important that I am honest to my music. So all of these years that I persuaded music I have persuaded it completely on my terms I have not made any comprises like lot of people always ask me that why don't you make commercial songs some movie songs, dance songs? but that's not my expression that's not my background that's not where I come from. So I can't make such that kind of music. Music is a) an expression of personality and to me it's a worship.
Though you don't have a regular training in classical music you have done pretty well for yourself please comment?
I think I am well known because of luck. It's got nothing to do with me. Actually very few people who have come to this field are actually educated and when you talk to an educated person there is always a difference you know you can always make out somebody who is educated or not and it is not only from what you learn in books. It's where you come from; like if you sit down and chat with my mother and my father there so much of information, and depth they have will impart it to you. Like when I went in to the medical college I already knew the treatment of so many diseases because of my parents because of my background .I think it's what you imbibe. I think that's what has helped me to establish myself as a person, I think the media and the audiences suddenly got hold of a guy who knew what he was saying maybe he was making sense and also the music I make was a very common man music, it was never glamorous, flashy or whatever it is. I think that connected to the people.
What role lyrics play in your songs?
Lyrics is the most important part the problem is that we are leaving at times where lyrics are given least importance but my thing is such that lyrics should be given most importance because we as an entertainer have a huge responsibility towards society people who listen to our music actually try to listen and follow what am I saying. It's a misnova when people say that " I am a movie star I do whatever I do and it's okay" I don't think so people follow you they listen to what you say they understand your lyrics and they follow your lyrics, like I will give you an example when I wrote Ma e re there were so many people who wrote to me on the email that they could connect that song to their mother thanks to that song. He takes a Pause I think it's very very important. 7. How do you compare previous singers, lyrics with the present days? Now days everybody is coming up with their songs. Previously the songs were really good now I think we are somewhere losing . What do you say? I personally feel that the problem is actually in our population see what happens is I will give you an example twenty years ago or thirty years ago how many journalist they where? Look at it now the number of journalist is fantastic so there would be good journalist and there would be bad journalist. there will not be any quality control. Earlier if you had to get in to press like times of India etc then it had to be very very good but now the problem is that there are so many people that eventually choice or choosing becomes very very tough. So they say you know when a good will works may be a bad will work also, which is a same in music. there was a time there were only five singers kishore Kumar. Mohammad rafi, Mannadey, mukesh, Hemant Kumar. Nowdays there are almost fifty thousands singers, so obviously there would some good singers writing good music and bad singers writing bad music but I don't agree that all lyrics are bad all singers are bad, all lyrics are bad I don't think so it's not possible. There are great musicians at our time I think A.R Raman is a great musicians, he is a great musician who writes very nice musics great melodies, Shankar Ayasan loy. There is lot of music that Anu malik write is always good. Gulzar sahib is writing poetry Javed Akhtar is writing poetry. Praful joshi is writing poetry. They write excellent poetry, I don't agree with this that everything is bad everything was used to be good like that day only I was hearing a song That was a copy from a song Czechoslovakia from a very old Rajkapoor film. So it's not the case that everything used to be good and now everything is bad. Nowdays we are leaving at the time of Internet so………
Nowdays people are making remix of old songs. So what do you feel about it?
I will just tell you what the problem with the remix is. Remix, as a song is not wrong. Remix, as a video is wrong. What all they are doing is that with all the old melodies they are coming with all these vulgar videos which actually makes it look bad. You know the song is not bad the song is still remains the same. Like her generation who are much much younger than us if you did not hear these remixes you would never come to know about the old songs. The problem is that the videos they make so what happens is that if you shut your eyes and you hear the song you will really enjoy it but if you open your eyes then you would be surprised.
9. Would you sing cheep and meaningless popular song if they offer you great amount of cash? I have already refused that kind of songs .I have already refused remixes and stuff like that. See in life I have learnt one thing if you comprise once you have to keep on comprising again and again. Secondly, I am very happy with what I have done I am contended I don't want to be the world richest man or the world most famous man. I am happy being who I am. So I really don't think I really need to do this.
Underline themes of your songs?
The underline themes, the strongest theme in the world is definitely love. Love for anything it could be love for somebody, for your parents, for your country for anybody .I think all my songs talks about love for something or the other either its patriotism, or a person for your friends, parents. I think the theme is always love it has to be because I think that's the strongest emotion in the whole world and it's the most unified one too.
Please share your experience in filal and your experience in working with shushmita sen and Meghana Gulzar?
The greatest thing about filal was that I was lying down at home one day and the offer came .so I think that was the better thing about Filal.I had a very small role but I had a very significant role I really thought the idea to work in a film would be, it was an extension of my music. It was again a very descent film .It was a very different film and it was done in a very aesthetic manner and I thought if I were a part of the film it would help me learn more of what I want to do and spread more of what all I want to do. That was one thing I think Shushmita was a great co star .She is an extremely intelligent person for her age. She is very young she is hardly 26, 27 but very very mature and so is meghana she is very mature person. I think it's her predagaries that makes her so mature and intelligent .The greatest think about filal was that it taught me that " you can come up with offbeat topics they might not be commercial success but it's a great way to experiment because there is nothing wrong in that.
Celebrity's life is virtually an open book they don't have their personal life comment?
I have a personal life .I completely have a personal life .A celebrity life gets as exposed as he wants it to get exposed. Like I will give you an example if I went for one party everybody everybody would get to know me that much I avoid doing that so if you don't go out if you don't mix up with people, you don't get in to the media, you don't get in to the celebrity circle they would never get to know that much about you may be they don't treat me as somebody who is very exciting, that's okay na .My life as a singer as a family person is very demarcated. There is clear boundary between the two.
Would you consider yourself as an introvert?
It's not so much like an introvert but I would like to stay away. In famous cities, also I won't go out, I won't go out to cut ribbons, never go out to parties. It's suit me as I said I have been brought in a very different atmosphere, I have been brought up in an intellectual background middle class family .I would like to imbibe those things in me. Eventually you are recognized by your work if your work is good then people will admire you, like you support you but if your work is not good you could be anybody it does not make any differences.
Do you have any movies in the pipeline?
Thinking, see it has to come at a time when I am not doing too many concerts. The problem is to do a film you have to stay at one place and that takes away lot of your time. My problem is, I am traveling all the time so I am always doing concerts and that is my first love I can't give that out so if it comes during that time when I am not doing anything else then may be I will do it otherwise it's not possible.
Which offers you more satisfaction, medical profession or music?
Definitely, medicine no way I cannot deny it. Even if one patient puts his trust in you with his life it is great feeling what could be more then that. One guy coming to you and saying that treat me make me okey. Music is a more transient business more superficial. It's a show biz it's nothing else. You are good or as bad as the person looking at you perceives it. I am nothing I am very ordinary person like I think I am not very good singer but may be you think you I am a good singer. It depends upon your perception. Even if I was the best singer in the world and you think that I am not then it would remain so.
Is there any major difference between Palash Sen of pre 1998 and Palash Sen of today? Do you think a person automatically changes when he becomes a celebrity?
The difference which I mark within myself is that I have become much more patient. I used to have a very bad temper. I was a more impulsive kind of a person. I never used to take the thing in its actual form like if I used to think that somebody was saying something I used to react very angry. Now its okey I am at peace with myself I think success has given me the patience. I have become very patient guy because I think God has been very nice to me. He has been very very kind to me .I think I should give away this kindness to other people. That is the major difference between me. There is a bad side I get to sleep lesser I much more tired then I used to be I can spend less time with my family, I am five years older. So that's the other side and also people come down and speculate like if you are coming to meet then you would have preconceived thoughts in your mind that I would be like this I would be like that all this was not before 1998.Previously people didn't have any preconceive notion about me they are just meeting you as a person. One more thing you just cannot go in to the market just like that you simply cannot. When everything happened to me I was already in my thirties I already had a settled career,. At thirty a person is not so much bothered about his career at twenty-one he his bothered about his career, that time he has ideas and dream. When I got this break my life was already stable I was already practicing. So my brain would not take a spin if I suddenly became famous. See as a doctor you get to see the reality of life and the reality of life disease and death everything else I would say it's just a dream .I think all the good things which happens to you is just a dream. My father used to say birth is by chance but death is definite and I strongly belief this. Eventually what ever you are getting this fame, name etc these are very small things very transient So as person you wont change things only that change, peoples perception about you change. Like 10 years back nobody knew who I am now 10 years later everyone knows who I am; but nobody knows me na they would be all thinking about of all that they must be seeing in the TV, what they would read up in the interview, and everybody has a story to tell the moment they become famous.
Which singer you admire the most and why?
First is really my father, secondly a man call Elvis prisley .My father brought his records and I really thought that was the way to sing in life. The third person is kishore kumar. Kishorekumar has influenced everybody in this country so influenced me also. Though I think he was the only singer who had such a wide range of emotions in his voice. He could sing any kind of songs and that's what I have always tried to do tried to sing every kind of songs. Yes I think these are three people whom I admire the most otherwise I would admire anybody. I admire Nusratfateh Ali Khan; I admire Shan, AnuMalik, Sonunigam. I am a big fan of lataMangeshkar, Asha Bhosle ji.my thing is I admire all of them I think they all have got their charm, own ways of thinking and they have so much to teach people.
What role does competition and comparison plays in your career?
A lot the thing is you may not be comparing or compare yourself but people tend to do so like I like Shan more than Palash .I think people has this comparison thing you yourself wont be doing it. I cannot be somebody else this the way I am there is something unique about me. I am not the greatest singer in the world but I am not the worst singer also I am okey I am somewhere there and I at peace at myself I cannot be compared there is no point and it doesn't affect. See it doesn't affect me simply because as I said that I am at peace. I really think what ever I have got it's a bonus .I was just a doctor, going to the clinic everyday and seeing the patient that it. Whatever I have got it's a bonus.
What made you choose the name euphoria?
There are two stories behind it one is the funny story the options were Diarrhea, pyria, gunnearohea so euphoria was the best option. The actual reason is euphoria is a feeling you get in a state called hypomania, which is the first stage of mania which is a psychological disorder and they say that when you are in the state of the hypomania and euphoria you are at your creative best, you create the best like people like leonardavinci and all where in euphoria when they created monalisa, so I would like to hope that the band is always at euphoria thus creating the best.
Whom do you hold responsible for your success?
No two ways that it I would say God and my parents. God because he is the one who writes our destiny I am very strongly believer in that. He is the one who writes your life and my parents for all they have taught me in life I think they have made me in to a very strong individual. My mother is an extremely strongly individual .My father was a strong a strongly individual and I think they have imbibe those qualities to me like do what you want to do in your terms see it is easy to become somebody like it would have been easy for me to compose music which everyone does but I chose to create my own things, my own personality. I am still that kind of person whom you would never label as a celebrity and that's all thanks to my parents they have really taught me all those values.
What is your source of inspiration?
Definitely my parents but I think my source of inspiration is actually people I love personalities you will get to see so many different people who have so many different qualities how the human mind work is the greatest mystery of all there is nothing more fascinating everybody brains it actually works in a different way. Like there would be people who would see a glass and say its half full but their would be people you would say it's half filled. People are the greatest source inspiration.
If you were not Dr Palash Sen what would you have been?
I wish I were a king of a country and would not have to work even for a single day. I don't know I think I would have been in the army .I was very fascinated with the career in the air force .I always wanted to be a pilot .I would have been in the army I think I am a very strong patriotic feel to me All my maternal uncle are in the forces. |
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