Being: Himesh Reshammiya

I am not nasal, singer Himesh Reshammiya insists. “I have to sing in a high pitch—a song will only work when sung in that manner,” he says. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang for 30 years in a high pitch and nobody called him nasal, he tells Anuradha SenGupta on Being.

Anuradha SenGupta: Its 11 o’clock and you have had a very hard rehearsal session before we come into this music room of yours. You are still going strong.

Himesh Reshammiya: Yes, because by the grace of God my hobby is my profession. So I really don't feel that I'm working. Rather, I'm just enjoying my work. Till the time I enjoy my work I will keep doing it. I will have to work very hard and treat every film as my first film.

As a student I will try and prove myself better with my forthcoming compositions. I still feel that Tere Naam and Ashiq Banaya Apne were very bad compositions and the best is yet to come.

Anuradha SenGupta: You are too hard on yourself. What is your inspiration? When you walked into this room to compose those songs did you already have an idea in your mind?

Himesh Reshammiya: No, my inspiration is God alone. I think there is some divine intervention in my life. I always say that there is a force that is making me compose so many tunes. I have got a stock of 1,000 compositions. Many a times, even in five days, you are not able to make a composition yet I am composing at least two-three songs in a day.

Anuradha SenGupta: All gifted artists have the divine hand on them. What are the thoughts that go through your mind?

Himesh Reshammiya: I pray to god that please give me very good composition, something that works with the classes as well as the masses. A composition that is very meaningful, and also gives a lot of personal identification to everyone who is and who has been in love. Love is, I think, a universal emotion.

Anuradha SenGupta: Most of your songs are love songs.

Himesh Reshammiya: I only like doing romantic songs because love is a universal emotion which will work with everyone. Everyone has been in love at least once in his life.

Anuradha SenGupta: My only understanding of music is like that of a layperson. I have no idea about how a composer works. How do you work?

Himesh Reshammiya: I don't know about others but sometimes like other composers even I work on a definite given situation. Like when I'm given a situation of the film I would work on a song which only suits that particular situation. But in Hindi films we don’t have very many situations.

There are about two songs which are situational in a film, otherwise four songs are placed because there is a boy and a girl in the film and we have romantic songs. There is no such great situation that arrives in a film. Many a times we work towards creating a situation in the film.

Anuradha SenGupta: While travelling, or may be at other instances in everyday life, did you ever notice somebody's face or a colour that appealed to you?

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Himesh Reshammiya: No, nothing like that ever happened. I go into my past memories looking into my experiences in life, thinking about how a common man would identify with my songs—a song that would touch him. There is this feeling among the audience that I must have gone through some major personal experience in life which is not really true. I just try to play the role of this common man who is madly in love.

Anuradha SenGupta: So your inspiration is divinity on one hand and on the other hand you have emotions that come from within you. A beautiful day, blue sky, lovely monsoon etc are not the kind of subjects that will inspire you?

Himesh Reshammiya: No, absolutely not. I don’t like composing songs on such subjects like ‘this is a beautiful day’, ‘these flowers are lovely’. May be some people would get inspired by such things but not me. I like personalised romantic songs.

Anuradha SenGupta: So you are a composer only for the romantics. There is nobody else in your world. If you are not a romantic you cannot appreciate Himesh Reshammiya.

Himesh Reshammiya: Yes, absolutely. I completely agree, but of course I would like to do some work that would give me critical acclaim. Like I did Benaras and got a lot of critical acclaim for that, but the market just did not respond to Benaras

I'm talking about the sales, because when my work is concerned a definite sale is guaranteed. I see to it that the market does respond to my work.

Anuradha SenGupta: I’m going to ask you something, promise me that you will not get angry. You don't sound nasal at all. Then why is it that it is said that you sound nasal. Is it because of a few songs that you've sung?

Himesh Reshammiya: I will explain you why is it so. Actually it is about the style in which you sing a song. It has to be sung in a way that it works. I have to sing in a high pitch—a song will only work when sung in that manner. Otherwise it will not work.

Then why would you call that nasal? I'm only singing a song in a pitch that it suits and will work. I like to attach an identity of my voice to my song.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang for 30 years in the high pitch. Why nobody called him nasal then?

Anuradha SenGupta: That sounds very arrogant.

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Himesh Reshammiya: Why arrogant? It’s not about arrogance. I know myself. If I have done anything wrong in my life then I will get punished for it. Retribution is on earth. But you cannot call me arrogant.

When I sang Jhalak Dikhla Ja in high pitch, people wrote it off as nasal but when I sang Humko Deewana Kar Gaye in the same high pitch, nobody said even once that such a huge hit song is nasal.

Again a song from Benaras, for which I got a lot of critical reviews, wasKitna Pyaar Karte Hain. People appreciated it a lot but it didn't sell. I sang it in a lower octave. I sang Humko Deewana Kar gaye, Zara jhoom jhoom in middle octave, and Jhalak Dikhla Ja and Ashiq Banaya Apne in high octave.

Continuously, I have sung in different pitches and in lower, middle and high octave. Had there been a fourth octave, I could have sung in that also. I will be very honest in saying that I never felt bad about the comments that I got on my voice and my work.

It is only because of such comments that I have been able to make songs even hit numbers in middle and lower octaves. When my first song came people said that I have an unconventional voice. Now the same unconventional voice has become perhaps the most conventional voice of today.

Anuradha SenGupta: You are a philosopher besides being a composer. Isn't it?

Himesh Reshammiya: No, I'm not a philosopher. I only believe in the philosophy of karma that I don’t want to hurt anyone. God is with me and I am working hard to reach my destiny. But still I believe that destiny is bigger than talent.

Anuradha SenGupta: When you started, people didn’t know you. Today people expect something from you, does that mean that the pressure on you has increased?

Himesh Reshammiya: My attitude towards every project is working on it as a student. Everyone should earn and even the critics should like it. By the grace of God, I've got the jury award this year, the critics have given me an award. MTV, Stardust, Filmfare, Zee all of these awards were given to me. I am happy now. I have got 27 hits in just six months, which is record by itself.

The 28th hit has just come. I have to see to it that I work very hard more towards it till I am satisfied. I don’t ever want to think that merely my brand name will sell. I keep telling myself that just the 'brand name' cant sell on its own. Unless and until you have good music under that brand name, it won’t sell.

Anuradha SenGupta: You have a lot of young fans and there is this one guy who I know is a big fan of yours. He actually asked me to ask you this. He says that, "I could be dancing to your song and yet the song could actually be a heart that is crying," Isn't it?

Himesh Reshammiya: When you go to a party or a pub even if you are enjoying the music, somewhere you have some different emotions running at the back of your mind. It can be anything from unfulfilled love to having some memories of the past, the desire to be with the someone or may be just looking out for the right kind of partner-all these emotions are attached to your mind when you are rocking to a thumping beat.

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That emotion is always there at the back of my mind. I always try to tap that emotion of the listener and I think that is why they want to listen to it again and again. I don’t think that I'm doing anything wrong.

Anuradha SenGupta: Of course you are not doing anything wrong. It is just an observation; there is no value judgment in it.

Himesh Reshammiya: But there is no contradiction in that. A song like Just Chill is just pure fun not having any pain attached to it. In this song I could not put that element of pain because of its lyrics. But in Aashiq Banaya Apne, Zara Jhoom and Jhalak Dikhla Ja there is that bit of pain in it. If you look at the lyrics of these songs, the words say that the singer is talking about missing someone. But then I didn't want to make boring remorseful songs. There is pain in it but at the same time there is a foot tapping beat also.

I am quite inspired by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, R D Burman and Shanker Jai Kishan's music also. The whole composition of these three composers is there in me. But if you see their music also there is that pain and a foot tapping rhythm also. Songs likeDarde Dil, Main Shayar Nahin are few of their songs which have that pain and emotion attached to it.

Anuradha SenGupta: Besides being a music composer and a singer you are also someone who is constantly thinking about the way the world around you is working and listening to the music.

Himesh Reshammiya: I have to admit that I have become a little corrupt.

Anuradha SenGupta: Corrupt or clinical?

Himesh Reshammiya: Corrupt. Not clinical.

Anuradha SenGupta: Explain us why?

Himesh Reshammiya: Because the stakes are high. When my music comes in the market, people expect it to be an instant hit.

Anuradha SenGupta:But that is because you are the music composer with the 'midas touch' these days. Isn't it?

Himesh Reshammiya: When money and reputation is at stake, I can't take chances. Producer, director, actors and music company's interest is at stake, I certainly can't take chances. I have taken a chance in Benaras and a lot of appreciation came falling on it. Yet it did not sell. Then I thought of a way to compose such music, which would sell, be extremely popular especially among the youngsters.

Anuradha SenGupta: Do you see youngsters as being your main target?

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Himesh Reshammiya: Absolutely. I target them only. Youngsters who are below 20 years of age or still in there 20's are my target audience. Because they are the ones who atleast buy my music CDs and cassettes.

Anuradha SenGupta: Well, some of them also download your songs for free.

Himesh Reshammiya: Fine, but atleast they are spreading my music. They are not fools. All the youngsters today are really looking out for melodies. If you just compare the melodies of Aapki Kashish, Zara Jhoom or Aashiq Banaya Apne then you will find that these are superior melodies than Tere Naam. Tere Naam were very simple melodies. Apki kashish is a very soulful raag based composition, yet a very difficult song.

Its composition is so contemporary, so modern that it worked with youngsters in pubs, discos, autos everywhere.

Anuradha SenGupta: Are you enjoying what you are doing now?

Himesh Reshammiya: I love doing what I'm doing.

Anuradha SenGupta: Yet you say that you are corrupt.

Himesh Reshammiya:When I knew that I would have to be corrupt I decided that the quality of my work will not be compromised. Yes, I will have to follow a limited a genre of music, which is popular music.

Anuradha SenGupta: What is your most favourite romantic film?

Himesh Reshammiya: Dil Wale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge is my all time favourite film. I loved that film. I also loved Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Bobby, Maine Pyaar Kiya. I love all of Yash Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar, Nasir Hussein, Sooraj Barjatya films.

Anuradha SenGupta: Are these people you would like to compose for? Has anyone of them approached you?

Himesh Reshammiya: No, they haven’t approached me so far, though I have called them at times. Perhaps it was not in the destiny.

Anuradha SenGupta: Why is it so? Since they are making the kind of romantic films that your music will probably work very well with.

Himesh Reshammiya: These five makers have not approached me so far. I am dying to work with these people and I think that the day I get to work with them, I will give my best work to them.

Anuradha SenGupta: On one hand you are modest, you know that the success that you are seeing today is here today, gone tomorrow. You have seen it happen with people in this industry very up close. On the other hand you are very arrogant about what you have achieved. Isn't that a contradiction?

Himesh Reshammiya: No contradictions. I'm very sure that only if God is on my side that I will be able to maintain this success. Now you talk about my arrogance.

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It’s not about being arrogant; I'm not even trying to retaliate. I just want you to present the other side of my work too that there is sheer effort that goes into it. I have always felt that, "Oh my god, the music is such a big hit yet some people are there to find faults in it."

Anuradha SenGupta: But why don’t you let the numbers talk for themselves. Everybody knows of the huge sales, everyone who puts on the radio station can hear your songs. Why do you need to say-27 songs hit in six months on so on?

Himesh Reshammiya: I have not arrived at these figures myself. Times of India actually gave me this figure that 27 of my songs became huge hit in just six months.

You have to ask the Times of India that from where did they arrive at these figures?

Anuradha SenGupta: Nobody can miss the fact that you are a hit, you are a sensation and that you have arrived. Today is your day or the present is yours, we don’t know about the future, you have yourself said as much. Why do you need to keep repeating it?

When I came to meet you I already knew who Himesh Reshammiya is? That’s why I wanted to know what is it like being Himesh Reshammiya?

Why does Himesh Reshammiya need to tell me "I've made the industry turn around, I've sold so much and so on"?

Himesh Reshammiya: Did I mention this. No I didn't. When you asked me what I'm working on, how I'm doing I had to tell you about all those hits. Actually this whole arrogant image started with the buzz when Mumbai Mirror quoted me on the front pages saying, "I'm the rock star" and "I'm Bryan Adams." If you just read those lines, you will feel that perhaps I'm out of my mind. I never said it in the context that it had been presented. They just made a good headline out of it. However I don’t hold anything against them as it was an interesting headline made in a good taste. But when people read it, they thought success has gone to my head.

Did anyone ever ask my producer-directors if success has actually gone to my head? Earlier when I used to present them with three compositions to make a choice, today I give them five compositions to choose from. I even ask them to take it home and make their children listen to it. If at all they feel like it would be a hit, should they pick it.

No one has ever presented all these things ever. No one ever looked at the depth of hard work that goes into making music hit. They just slammed me with the label of being arrogant.

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Anuradha SenGupta: What will you say to people who say that they like you as a composer but not as a singer?

Himesh Reshammiya: Don't listen to my music. Don't buy my music if you feel so. Because the music comes as a whole package.

When you buy a song you are buying a whole package. You can't remember a song for only its lyrics, or the composition. Everything the music, the voice, the lyrics compliment to a good song.

Anuradha SenGupta: You spoke about you predecessors and you told who you liked there, what about your contemporaries? Whose music do you swing to?

Is there a soundtrack in recent times that you heard and felt that I wish I had done that?

Himesh Reshammiya: I like Vishal Shekhar, Ehsaan Shanker Loy, Pritam, A R Rehman and I like all of their compositions. But I never feel that "I wish I should've done that." Because I haven't composed it in the first place. But at times I feel like when I listen to Vishal shekhar's Dus Bahane I feel that now he has done it. I will have to work harder to match with something like this, or to create something better than this.

Anuradha SenGupta: Are you enjoying being Himesh Reshammiya today? Where are you getting that mental space, the time to enjoy amid all the competition, hectic lifestyle, and everyday's stress?

Himesh Reshammiya: Yes, I'm enjoying being what I am. I get that free time after 12'o clock. That is when I stop working, between twelve to three I get time for my friends, restaurants, movies and so on. That is when I feel that everything is going fine. Those few hours I tell myself that everything is going is fine. I work the rest of the 23 hours to achieve that 'everything is going fine.' I work those 23 hours because I don’t want spend those few hours in stress that everything is not going fine.

Anuradha SenGupta: We just hope everything just keeps going fine for you and you learn to 'just chill'.