Kailash Kher on his ‘madness’ for singing, being a mentor and not just a judge on Indian Idol 4 and his dislike for Atif Aslam’s musical style
You seem to be the most loved judge on Indian Idol 4 with everyone wanting to sing Saiyaan.
(Laughs) Saiyaan seems to be the boys’ favourite. Our band, Kailasa, has got many compliments for it. I met a saint in Dubai recently who said that Saiyaan is a love anthem.
When someone mauls your song, what do you feel like doing?
(Laughs) Tab mann karta hai ki woh naa gaaye to behtar hoga (it’ll be better if they don’t sing at all). I pity them also because they’re so earnest. It’s just that they don’t have the sur. A bunch of boys from Lucknow, who have formed a Kailash Kher fan club, came on the show recently. You had to hear the way they sang Teri Deewani. They were all doing their own thing, kissi ka sur kahin bhi lag raha tha. But their passion was noteworthy. My heart went out to them. Then, Anu Malik kept goading me, saying, “Dekh, Kailash tere fans kitne sureele hain.” I didn’t react. If God’s devotees are fools, it doesn’t mean they aren’t devotees.
You’re very gentle in your assessment of contestants. Is that deliberate?
I have a simple philosophy: Kaaga kiske dhan hare…koyal kiske de…aur meethi baani bol ke jag apna karle. I understand that it’s all about creating an image on the show but I’d rather be subtle than harsh or hyper. If I don’t like a performance, I say so gently. You have to realise that the show has an unforgiving format that eliminates in one shot people who have been learning music for a decade. Maybe, on that particular day, a contestant is having a bad day and is not able to get the right sur. When I started singing, I was told I didn’t have a good voice and that I should learn an instrument to sustain myself. So, I did learn the sitar and the tabla. But I never gave up on myself. If I had believed other people’s judgement, I wouldn’t have been here.
Do you want to be a mentor than only a judge?
Yes, and I can’t be so by being rude. I have to encourage contestants, most of whom are nervous when they perform. It’s not easy with the whole country watching you. I always keep that in mind when I’m giving my analysis.
In a recent episode, a mention of Atif Aslam rankled you. Is there trouble between the two of you?
I’m having all kinds of new experiences on the show. Our band, Kailasa, had just returned from a show in America where Atif had also performed. Maybe Sonali wanted to create some light mood on the sets or maybe she was on a different trip but suddenly out of the blue she started going on and on about Atif Aslam. I found that strange. Somehow, I didn’t get the joke. I couldn’t understand what was happening. So, I started laughing.
Do you like Atif Aslam?
Not much. He sings modern, angrezi-style songs where lyrics aren’t that important. Since I have a folk background, I’m not used to his kind of music and take time to warm up to his kind of songs.
Is your mother the inspiration behind the song, Maa, in Dasvidaniya?
Yes. But by adding the word ‘mamma’ in the lyrics, the song becomes everyone’s song. As my Kailasa colleagues, Naresh and Paresh, and I have also scored the music for Dasvidaniya, we decided to create a distinctive sound for the album. I feel a mother is the only source of unconditional love. This song is my ode to all mothers. As for my relationship with my mom, she never pampered or cuddled me when I was young, she does it now when I’m all grown up.
Your rags-to-riches story is often touted, how you lived on the platform of Andheri station during your initial days…
(Interrupts) I want to correct this wrong impression. I never lived at the Andheri station. I had just mentioned to a journalist once that when I came down to Mumbai, I spent a very colourful night at the Andheri station. A bunch of us went down there to get a sense of the vibrancy of Mumbai and we ended up singing through the night. Next thing I know I’m supposed to have lived on the platform. I have had a British-style-public-school upbringing—the kind where having a cup of tea entails a thousand rituals. I don’t think I ever had chai without a cup and a saucer. Plus, I spent my free time at Delhi’s Golf Club.
So, you never struggled? Is it true you’re building a recording studio? Finally, who do you think about when you sing all those soulful love songs?
My struggle was to find a teacher who could teach me music. My struggle was to become a good singer. When I decided to learn music, I didn’t know where to go. We don’t have an institute in India that teaches music. Those who can afford either go to the Trinity College of Music or the Berlin School. But for those in India, you have to find a guru or an ustad who have their own hang-ups. So I started listening to all kinds of music available. I listened to the private albums of maestros like Lata Mangeshkar, Sant Eknath, Mohd Rafi, Meera Bhajan, Pt Kumar Gandharva, Ustad Amir Khan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In a way, I’m self taught.
Yes. Kailasa Studios is ready. Other than Dasvidaniya, we are also scoring music for Boman Irani-starrer Rishton Ki Machine for which we have composed a song very reminiscent of Khosla Ka Ghosla’s Chak De Phatte.
(Laughs) See, music is my passion, my muse. I put all the madness and passion that I feel for music in my songs. You can say ki main pyaar ke gaane nahin balki pyaar mein passion ke gaane gaata hoon. My only wish is that when people listen to my songs they go into anhad naad—a state of spiritual sadhna, it’s ‘soundless sound’, where you hear music in silence. When you sing with passion, madness and purity, people connect to the voice on a spiritual level....
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