Gurdeep Mehndi is slowly and steadily making his mark as a singer and composer, carving an identity of his own beyond that of his father, Daler Mehndi, and uncle, Mika Singh. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Gurdeep spoke about his latest single as a singer, ‘Chan Mahi’. He also features in the music video alongside Aditi Sharma, and its unique, cinematic visuals have been widely appreciated.
What kind of reactions have you received for ‘Chan Mahi’?
The ones who are close to me and are also my toughest critics have observed that it is nothing like my regular stuff. It’s a very different genre. Normally, I go for commercial music or whatever is trending. But many people told me that this song is not run-of-the-mill and that they love it. It’s a slow, sad, romantic number. Iske lyrics ek pukaar hain. ‘Chan Mahi’ is about a person telling his or her lover that tu mat jaa. But the beat, music and overall atmosphere of the song are completely different. You can play this song in a club, in a car or even at a house party!
The video is novel – a woman who repeatedly encounters her beloved in familiar spaces, blurring the line between memory and reality. How did the concept get locked?
This music video is quite cinematic. Normally, a regular, formulaic music video has hook steps, four cars and girls! But since the feel of this song is different, I told music director Manil Kandwal that the video should focus on a different kind of obsession with your lover. It is like, main tere saath bhi nahin reh sakta aur tere bagair bhi nahin reh sakta. Even if I try to stay away from you, my body doesn’t allow me to. My eyes, my mind, my everything leads back to you – the person I love.
Hence, she sees her lover in every guy she bumps into. Manil did justice to this vision of mine. He said that he would get into a serious cinema mode and treat the music video as a depiction of the feelings of someone who loves another person so deeply that they become the only endpoint. That’s what we have tried to show.
How do you balance singing and composing? Is it a challenge?
So, last year, I worked on a song called ‘Sajri’. I sang it, composed it and also wrote the lyrics. However, I regularly do live shows and I am also trying to do many other things. Composing is a serious process, and you need to invest a lot of time in thinking and creating a composition. I’d prefer to come across as a sorted singer rather than randomly put stuff out on Instagram and YouTube. I feel that my song should make sense and impress you even if you listen to it four or five years later. That’s the hallmark of an evergreen song. Even today, we get evergreen songs like ‘Jo Bheji Thi Duaa’ from Shanghai (2012), sung by Arijit Singh.
Hence, instead of uploading random stuff, I’d rather take my time and release songs carefully. Sadly, I am not able to devote that kind of time to composing. Hence, I source talent from outside. That’s great too, as it gives opportunities to emerging and promising artists.
You recently sang a song in Haunted – Echoes Of The Past, ‘Lauta Do’, and it was also a surprise…
I’d like to thank Saregama for it. Sometimes, you need someone to make people look beyond stereotypes. I’ve mostly been singing high-tempo songs that are very much rooted in pop culture. That is poles apart from the lehza and romance associated with Vikram Bhatt sahab’s films. So, for them to consider Gurdeep Mehndi for a song like this was difficult. They probably couldn’t even imagine me singing something in this space.
I had to give an audition. I was at my home studio and sang a few lines. That’s when they realized the potential. Saregama played a big part in convincing them to try me and insisting that I am not a typical Punjabi singer. In fact, it was the Haunted song that inspired me to do ‘Chan Mahi’. I felt that if I could pull off ‘Lauta Do’, then I could pull off ‘Chan Mahi’ as well.
I’d also like to thank Prateek Walia, who is the music composer of Haunted. When he approached me to sing the song, I decided to give it a try because I had never sung anything of this sort before.
Is the Bollywood film industry warming up to you?
There’s an interesting scenario when it comes to Bollywood and independent music. Those who achieved great success in Bollywood have now moved away from film music and are making waves in the independent space. For instance, Salim-Sulaiman have largely moved away from Bollywood music. On the other hand, many emerging talents feel that they can’t afford to do independent songs and therefore dream of singing for Bollywood. A film song automatically gives them access to a wider audience, and sometimes crores are spent on promotions as well. But ironically, many of the champions of Bollywood music have moved away from that turf. Meanwhile, those working in the independent space are dreaming, ‘If I get to sing in a Shah Rukh Khan film, I’ll get so much visibility’.
To answer your question, I really want people to notice me and understand that I can sing not just Punjabi songs but different genres as well. Those who are in close contact with me are experimenting with my voice. Also, during Navratri, I’ll be performing in Surat. I sing Gujarati songs too. Around 80% of my clients are Gujarati or Marwari, and I can easily perform Gujarati songs for 30-40 minutes.
More Pages: Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past Box Office Collection , Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past Movie Review
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