With only about a month left before the grandest religious festival of Bengal begins, acclaimed Bollywood singer Kailash Kher visited the city to release his Durga Puja number Namo Durge produced by SNV Shoppee. Looking lean in a black lapel jacket and trousers with his hair pulled up into a half bun, the Padma Shri awardee, still recalled for his soul-stirring tracks Teri Deewani and Allah Ke Bande, spoke at length about his love for Kolkata and his illustrious career in the world of music.
How was the experience with composer Prosenjit Das and lyricist Suprotim Dey in Namo Durge? The two artistes are very good at their work and they have created the song with utmost passion and honesty and I enjoyed working with the team thoroughly. The single is in Bengali and Sanskrit and my love for the Bengali language grew over time. I have sung 10-15 songs in Bengali, including some for projects in Bangladesh. Also, my band, Kailasa has a very talented Bengali musician, Tapas Roy. I keep picking up nuances from my experiences. The Bengali language is so warm and sweet that reminds you of a delectable dessert or a sweet dish.
Your songs have a soul-stirring effect on the listener...
I am a strong believer in spirituality and for me, music’s purpose goes beyond entertainment and it is with this intent that I sang the song Ye Hai Badalta Bharat, which is a tribute to Olympians, frontline workers and paramilitary forces. The pandemic has taught us to be very positive and has made us believe that there’s always light after darkness and whatever pain we go through, does come to an end and things do get back to normal.
Your last commercial song was Choti Si Chiraiyya from the film Mimi. Tell us about your upcoming projects?
I have sung in late actor Rishi Kapoor’s last unreleased film, Sharmaji Namkeen. I have sung a song called Boom Boom which is high on energy and has my signature notes.
You are looking very lean and thin; share your fitness secrets with us?
I do nothing rigorous but I do walk a lot every day, at least for an hour, to keep fit. Besides I am an intensely religious person and I meditate a lot to stay stress-free.
Namo Durge is now streaming on YouTube