“Sajid’s prediction of ‘Naino Mein Sapna’ has come true” – Amit Kumar

March 14, 2013 - 2:27 AM IST

Amit Kumar on singing his father Kishore Kumar's popular song 'Naino Mein Sapna' and his take on the current Bollywood music scene

“Sajid’s prediction of ‘Naino Mein Sapna’ has come true” – Amit Kumar

How did the song, 'Naino Mein Sapna' for the remake of Himmatwala come about?
When Sajid-Wajid called me last year in November, I thought that I was being offered a new song. It's only when I met them that I realized that it was a remake of Himmatwala with the same song, 'Naino Mein Sapna'. I agreed to sing the song. (Director) Sajid Khan was present during the recording and was very happy with the way the song had shaped up. He predicted that the song will become a massive hit, and it's come true. If the song was a super-hit 30 years ago, it has now become a massive hit. Even if there was another singer in my place, it would still have become a big hit. I am very happy as it has performed beyond my expectations. The credit goes to Bappi Lahiri, because it was his music. And now the credit for recreating the magic goes to Sajid-Wajid and Sajid Khan.

Do you remember the time when your father recorded the song?
I remember going to Mehboob Studio for the recording. This was in the year 1983; my father was 54 years old then and I, 31. I have sung this song now, when I am 61, five years older than my father at the time he first sung the song.

Were you under any kind of pressure as it was an iconic Kishore Kumar song?
No, I have sung my father's songs before. I had sung 'Humein Tumse Pyar Kitna' in Jhankaar Beats, but that did not become such a hit. Besides, why should I be under pressure? On the contrary, they said that they wanted my style of singing for the song. Maine yeh gaana jam ke gaaya hain. It's a powerhouse song. Us time pe Bappi ne bahut achha banaya tha. It's got that catch. The one factor that contributes to its popularity is the fact that people are yearning to listen to Indian melodies. Also, the fact that the original was sung by Kishore Kumar and the remake by his son is adding to its appeal.

What do you think of the music scene today?
I don't really listen to Hindi film music today. I am not from the new generation. Everything has changed with the digital sounds. It's not the same as the sounds in the old days. In fact, uske samne digital is a baby. Kaam achhe bhi ho rahein hain, but somewhere down the line; the melody part is still missing. I say that as a listener, but I may be wrong.

Tell me something about your label, Kumar Brothers Music.
Kumar Brothers Music (KBM) was actually my brother Sumit Kumar's brain-child and I am the main proprietor. KBM is the first-of-its-kind online music store. We have recorded eight songs till now at Kishoresaab's bungalow. The lyrics have been written by Leenaji (Chandavarkar) and the songs have been composed by me. Some of them have been arranged by my brother, while some by Ramesh Iyer and two by Gaurav Vaswani. I have tried to bring back the melody in its true sense. The name of the album is 'Haan Main Hoon Badnaam'. We have just finished mixing the songs and they have turned out good. We plan to launch the album very soon.

What kind of songs are there in the album?
There are different kinds of songs -romantic, philosophical and sad songs. One of the songs is in thumri. All are meaningful songs, not like the Humpty-Dumpty songs of today. It's for a niche audience. I want other artists, renowned and newcomers to come to KBM and record any type of songs, be it pop or classical. The main objective is melody, harmony and lyrical value.

Which singer from today's generation has the potential to make it big in the future?
I don't really know. There are so many singers who have made a name for themselves. And everyone is working hard.

Do we get to hear you more often in Hindi films now?
It's been a long time since I have sung for films. I am open to offers. If anyone calls me to sing, I am definitely there for them. However, I am not pushing myself, and this aspect has always seemed peculiar, but that's how I have always been (laughs).