ETimes sat down with the singer for an exclusive interview where she opened up about her fans’ reaction to the album, her son Devyaan’s special connection with one of the songs and more. Excerpts…
What kind of reactions have you been receiving for the songs – ‘Tujhe Bhi Chand’ and ‘Qaraar’.
Ever since the album was announced, fans have been super excited about it. Firstly, whatever project I do with Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir, it always gets appreciated, and people always look forward to my songs in his films. However, ‘Sukoon’ is a different format altogether. It is an original, non-film album. Right from the announcement, the name and the logo, the monochrome pictures of all the artists and the line-up of all the artists—there was something magical about it, like any other Bhansali project.
There is so much class and adaa that it appears to be a project with a wealth of musical experience. People became aware of Armaan’s involvement in the album as soon as the first song from it, ‘Ghalib Hona Hai,’ was released. Eventually, one song after another began to be released. I got so many messages from fans saying how beautiful the entire album is. They shared their favourite songs with me. I was so happy to see their reactions, comments, and interactions, which were purely about music, the lyrics, and how they could relate to the songs. It made me realise that people don’t want to listen to only film songs, they are happy to listen to good music in whatever way it reaches them. They pay close attention to each song. I know this because many people have told me how much they enjoyed a particular part I sang at a certain point in the song. It gives me so much joy to see young people taking such an interest. In the kind of world we live in, I think music gives a sense of dimension to the young. I am glad that I am a part of this album, which is a lifetime experience.
A fan comment on the ‘Qaraar’ video on YouTube read, “This is for sure going to be a cleanser for the current generation of music.” Your thoughts…
I absolutely agree! I think people have gotten saturated or bored with the kind of music they are listening to. Our industry has been churning out formula-based work. Music lovers have been waiting for that cleanser. We were all in desperate need of a change, and Sukoon arrived just in time. During the pandemic, there was a lull in the kind of content we consumed. People took a step back to understand the nuances of life. People got sensitised about good cinema and good music. People have gone back to reading books and listening to not only singles and film songs but also albums. I am happy that ‘Sukoon’ will start a revolution in that direction. I am constantly telling Bhansali sir that ‘Sukoon 2’ honi chahiye.
Tujhe Bhi Chand depicts the story of two doctors working day and night for the patients during the pandemic lockdown. What is the story behind Qaraar?
‘Qaraar’ is a type of Ghazal but not exactly a Ghazal. When we say ‘Ghazal’ people think it is very niche. It is a style of poetry. Many of our films have songs which have been sung in a ghazal format. The treatment of the song differs. We have had Madan Mohan sahab’s songs like ‘Lag Ja Gale’, ‘Yun Hasraton Ke Dagh’ and ‘Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha’. That kind of music was missing.
The poetry in ‘Qaraar’ is very well-known. It has had many different versions over the years. There is a Begum Akhtar’s version, Madhurani Gokhale Prabhulkar’s version and many others.
‘Tujhe Bhi Chand’ is about a gooey, first love romance and having sleepless nights. ‘Qaraar’, on the other hand, is on the other end of the spectrum. It is when you go through the entire relationship, the depth and experience of life teaches you the true meaning of long lost love. I am glad that Bhansali sir chose this poetry. This ghazal is written by Momin Khan. He couldn’t wait to get started on it. He was, however, sceptical of picking up a ghazal that was one of the most popular among ghazal fans. He made me go into the depths of my emotions for this song. I feel I have grown a little as an artist after recording this song. There is a certain longing attached to this song. Every time I listen to it, it makes me miss someone, although I have all my loved ones around me.
Which of the two songs is closer to your heart, and why?
‘Qaraar’ is closer to my heart. I don’t know what Bhansali sir would say, but mujhe to ‘Qaraar’ se kuch alag hi pyaar hai. There is another reason why this is so. Firstly, the entire album was recorded during the pandemic. Somewhere between August and September 2020, I recorded ‘Qaraar’. I was working from home at that time. After a couple of takes from home, Bhansali sir said, “I think we should do this the regular way.” He asked me to try and come to the studio, and they would fix the final take. He took care of my safety and made me comfortable.
That was the time when I was pregnant with my son Devyaan so I was very sceptical about leaving the house. When I recorded the song, I believe he was listening to it. Today, my son doesn’t sleep without listening to that song. This song somehow became ‘his’ song. This is the song that calms him down and makes him smile. I feel like he also feels the emotions of this song somehow. I am glad that a song of this stature is attached to the story of the birth of my son.
