Ayushmann Khurrana ranks high on the list of Bollywood's new talent – and it's not just because of his acting skills. Since his Bollywood debut with the 2012 film Vicky Donor, Khurrana has also established himself as a singer to be reckoned with. On Saturday, he was in Dubai to launch a single titled Mitti Di Khushboo (Scent of the Earth).
The 30-year-old found musical success after he won a Filmfare award for Best Male Playback for the song Pani Da Rang on the Vicky Donor soundtrack, which he followed up with the Rohan Sippy film Nautanki Saala! in 2013. The movie didn't do very well, but Saadi Gali, the track that Khurrana lent his voice to, topped the charts.
Mitti Di Khushboo is his first non-film song.
“It is about love, rain and nostalgia,” says Khurrana. “It’s about remembering your loved ones. A lot of people live away from their countries and their families. They think about their loved ones when they think about rain. They get nostalgic, and that’s the arc of this song.”
Khurrana says the track will resonate well with the UAE’s Asian expats, which is why he decided to launch it in Dubai. “There are moments when you miss home, your childhood and your past, and that was the thought behind the song. It will touch the hearts of people who are very connected to their roots.”
Released by the Indian music label T-Series, the Punjabi-style single is written and composed by Khurrana's childhood friend and frequent musical collaborator Rochak Kohli. The two also worked on Pani Da Rang and Saadi Gali. "It's not about two great musicians, but about two great friends," says Khurrana. "We compose together and we conceptualise together."
The music video features the actress Huma Qureshi, who made her Bollywood debut the same year as Khurrana.
"I went to see Huma's film – the one called Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana – simply because of the word Khurana in the name," says Khurrana with a laugh. "Huma was so cute in the film. I was looking for a girl with a typical Punjabi look and she fit the criteria. She's added so much beauty to the video."
Khurrana believes his acting career in Bollywood has given him an edge over other musicians.
“The 90s were the high point of Indian pop. From 2000 onwards, non-musical films couldn’t gain any support from media, be it radio or TV channels. Face value really gives you an advantage. I feel every actor who sings should go for albums and singles and promote non-film music. As for singing for films, it gives you more credibility if you can lend your own voice to your own character on screen. So I will always be an actor who does his own singing. I don’t know if I will be singing for someone else in the future. It depends on the composition, on the lyrics.
"It's been a pretty good journey since Vicky Donor, and surreal, too." he says. "From a radio presenter and theatre actor to video jockey, to actor and singer … it's not easy to don so many hats, but I am quite fortunate that I have got this opportunity."
Khurrana's forthcoming films include Hawaizaada, a biopic of the Indian scientist Shivkar Bapuji Talpade that is due out in February, and Yash Raj Films' Dum Laga Ke Haisha in April – he features on the soundtracks of both films.
artslife@thenational.ae
