I will not sing about dogs, adhesives or balms: Abhijeet

Abhijeet on the current crop of Bolly singers, his Puja album and how he is a fan of his own voice!
Tell us about singing for mainstream Bollywood in Besharamafter such a long hiatus. The track sung by me and Shreya (Ghoshal) is pure melody. Lalit Pandit’s concept for this film was to bring back melody at any cost. When it comes to melodious music, Lalit-er moto ar ke achhe? Bollywood is now going through a ‘shift’.Everything is shifting from the older generation to the newer one. There was a time, my voice was identified with Shah Rukh Khan’s on screen. But now, even Shah Rukh’s heroines are going through a shift and working with Ranbir Kapoor. So, I thought, why not me?
What kind of a reaction are you expecting?
You tell me! You must have heard it. My songs have a shelf life, which is lacking in today’s music. And I am talking about Tollywood here, too. Do you remember any song after Dhaker taley, that became as famous as that?
So, are you expecting a humongous hit?
Of course. I am a big fan of Abhijeet. And I am besharamenough to say that!
And what about your Bengali album, the Puja release?
It’s a folk album, called Pran Ta Juraiya Gyalo Re. This one is typically Abhijeet. It’s hugely experimental, but nowhere have I crossed the line. It’s not folk music, but its based on the folk genre. Pujor shomoy keu gaan shunte chay na, shobai naachte chay. That is what I kept in mind while recording this album.
Why such a long break from mainstream Bollywood?
Who writes music for us anymore? You don’t expect me to sing about dogs, adhesives or balms, do you? And to say the truth, I don’t think anybody has the guts to ask me to render such numbers. They make 20 singers sing one song and chose the best for the film. Nobody gets paid until their rendition is selected. It’s like an audition these days!
So, you think the musical scene is deteriorating?
I am not saying that there is no good music. There definitely is. Songs are becoming big hits. But do you see one singer whose fan following is like what we used to enjoy? Gaan toiri hochchhe, kintu singer toiri hochchhe na. Nobody’s voice strikes you. When you listen to a song, you don’t immediately recognize the singer. I have met young talents who know a lot. Pete bidye achhe, kintu golay kichhui nei.
Don’t you like any of today’s young musicians?
How can I? I don’t recognize anyone’s voice! Except for one, who sings through the nose!
And what about Shreya?
I have so many duets with Shreya. And they are all huge hits, like in Om Shanti Om and Main Hoon Na. She knows when she sings opposite Abhijeetda, those songs become the ‘forever’ kind. So, she was looking forward to working with me again.
What are your plans for this year’s Lokhandwala Durga Puja that you organize?
The Lokhandwala Durga Puja is bigger than any puja organized, even in Bengal. So, planning for it even a year in advance is not sufficient. But I can guarantee, this year’s celebrations will take your breath away.
What next?
I have a solo album planned next. It has nine songs, some of them accompanied by music videos. Entirely my concept, so you can expect another best-seller soon.