Singer-composer-songwriter-actor Arjun Kanungo is known for his poise, party numbers, and creative rap skills. His songs have been striking the right chords since 2013 and it seems he is here to rule the entertainment world with his singing and acting skills as well. In an exclusive interaction with TMM, he talked about his journey in the music world, his songs, his acting projects, and why recreations irritate him.
Arjun Kanungo, When did music happen to you and how?
At the age of 17, I was in the New York City and was all set to be an architect, and then one day, I meet these super energetic kids from the Juliet Music School and I was amazed to see how focused they were about what they wanted in life. It was then I decided to have this passion in my life. I discussed the idea with my mom and bought a guitar. I played the guitar for 16 hours a day for a good one month. At the same time, I completed my graduation in journalism, and then I bought a studio in Malad to actually get into the business and connect with all the musicians. One day musician Nitin Shankar came with his band at my studio and asked me to audition as a guitarist for Asha Bhosle(ji’s) band. She didn’t like and said, “I don’t think you are a good guitarist, rather you are a good singer, why don’t you join my band.” And that was the beginning of my singing career professionally.
Arjun Kanungo, Your Instagram bio says ‘Learning is living’. One learning that social media has taught you.
9 years ago when I started there was hardly any scope for social media. Today, when I analyse it, it gives me so much information related to the music world that one can never imagine. The best thing about this medium is- it gives equal opportunity to every creative person and at the same time, it gives you the scope to learn from others.
Arjun Kanungo, You are a singer and composer too. How do you create a balance?
(Laughs) It had been an organic process I would say. First of all, I never thought I would do singing and
composing, but then when it happened it became a part of my existence. Initially, I used to compose for advertisements and it was a great time. Once I joined Asha ji’s band, it was all about world tour and singing. It’s been the last 6 years that I am doing both simultaneously and it had been a satisfying journey. It’s all being balanced naturally!
You shot to fame with Khoon Choos Le. How has life changed post-stardom?
It is not just about stardom and being visible, the more and more popular you become, it comes along with a similar amount of pressure. And I guess this stress and pressure is the new change in my life. Earlier when I used to compose or sing, it was just a song, but today, it is a process and I have to make sure that my audience likes it and moreover, I have to make sure that the composition suits the time.
Tell us about your guru (if any) and what inspires you to compose?
Ever since music became a part of my life directly or indirectly many people from the music world have been the guiding force. The names that actually turned the table for me were Nitin Shankar and Asha ji, as they gave me that break to be out there. As far as my inspiration is concerned, again the contemporaries and veterans, they all inspire me to work on different genres and I try to keep listening to everyone’s work, as it gives you an insight of new world every time. Having said that, for me, inspiration is deeply rooted with personal experiences of life. I think no composer can create a song if he/she has not experienced it in their life. The personal touch always makes a big difference to the composition.
From Badshah to Neha Kakkar, you have worked with all. What is the best part of such
collaborations?
Creatively it broadens your horizon because when you work with a different artist, you go out of your
comfort zone and there the learning begins. It is beneficial for everyone involved in the collaboration,
but sadly, with time the industry has become very complicated. All the artists are associated with one or the other brand and those brands make us feel like we are competitors to each other. Music has
become like a product and every brand wishes to maintain the exclusivity.
How do you see the trend of recreating the iconic songs of 70s-90s?
It is annoying and disturbing. We often forget that music is an art and it needs to grow. Monetizing the iconic works is a business strategy that brands are following and I was surprised to know that out of 20 top songs of 2018, 15 were these recreations. It’s true that people love such fast pace creations, but as an artist when I listen to such compositions, it irritates me.
Tell us about your future projects.
With singers like me, the thing is you have to wait for your one song to work and then only you can
release next. So, the last one by me was Tu Na Mera and this year there will be a few more. Apart from that, I am acting in a short film that is written by me. Also, last year I did a web series with Eros Now, and this year I am doing one more with a different brand. There is a lot more happening that I can’t talk about, because of the professional laws, but yes, I want to tell my audiences that very soon I will be releasing another party song and I hope it will be loved the same way Baaki Baatein Peene Baad was!
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