Bollywood playback singer Mohit Chauhan has wowed many a fan with his earthy voice over the past decade. In fact, a single year has not gone by since 2006 without him churning out a hit song. After delivering the smash hit "Matargashti" from "Tamasha" last year, Chauhan gave us another chartbuster in "Sachi Muchi" this year. The song is from the recently-released Salman Khan-starrer "Sultan."
International Business Times, India, caught up with him as he took the audience on a nostalgia trip during a rain-washed concert at Phoenix Market City, Bengaluru, recently.
Even though it was raining cats and dogs during the concert, none of the attendees seemed inclined to leave the venue and seek shelter. Some opened their umbrellas and some decided not to take a rain check, instead enjoying Chauhan's soulful melodies while getting soaked to the skin. The crowd seemed to be livelier each time they heard the singer belt out a popular number.
One of those popular numbers was the folk-influenced "Sachi Muchi." Talking about the song, Chauhan said: "I had worked with Vishal-Shekar earlier on one of my biggest hits, 'Tujhe Bhula Diya' from 'Anjaana Anjaani. They bring with them a fresh perspective towards Bollywood music. I also like the fact that Vishal comes from an independent music background. So, it felt nice when I got the call from them. Moreover, it was written by Irshad Kamil, whom I have worked with on a number of occasions. So, it was a comfort zone for me. It is a cute love song and I had a good time recording it."
The evening saw Chauhan singing a number of his popular songs such as "Tumse Hi" from "Jab We Met," "Masakali" from "Delhi-6" and "Matargashti." All these songs come from the singer's collaboration with some of the most renowned music directors of today. While Chauhan had been singing one or two songs per film since his debut in Bollywood, he reached a personal milestone in 2011 when AR Rahman roped him in to sing most of the songs in Imtiaz Ali's "Rockstar."
But one thing that has eluded the singer in his illustrious career is the music director's mantle. "I almost did it with 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh'," said Chauhan. "I keep composing songs now and then. Those songs are bound to go somewhere at least. So, it might happen in the future," he added.
Chauhan's career has seen him traverse through genres with considerable ease. He has both party anthems and soul-stirring songs in his repertoire. But it is his soft and melodious tracks that always end up becoming a rage. "I enjoy singing songs that have an emotional quotient to them. I like songs that have good lyrics and underlying meaning to them," says Chauhan.
A packed audience at the Phoenix Market City concert cheered to every song Chauhan sang that day but when he started singing "Dooba Dooba," the crowd erupted. The song is widely considered the track that made Chauhan, and his then band Silk Route, a household name in the late 1990s.
Chauhan's ability to carve out niche non-film albums time and again makes him stand out in a sea of playback singers of today. Although he ruled out another Silk Route album during the conversation, he did not rule out the possibility of a new solo album. "I am working on some new music these days, and hopefully I will be done with enough material for an album by the end of this year. So, you can expect the album to come out early next year," he said.
