Singer Jubin Nautiyal shot to prominence a few years ago, having given back-to-back chartbusters, like “Humnava Mere”, “Aankh Lad Jaave” and “Sawarne Lage”. Originally trained in the classical tradition, the 29-year-old is now experimenting with different genres of music. Nautiyal speaks to Guardian 20 about his journey as a musician and his eclectic taste in music.
Q. Did you always want to be a singer?
A. I did try out some options in academics. I am a black belt in mix martial arts, have played nationals for air pistol shooting. I am a qualified MBA who has a business background and my father is a senior politician in Uttarakhand. I had many career options but I found solace in music. Music had always been my calling and so I decided to pursue it. I took it as a subject in class X, XII and then in college, too. I grew up learning all forms of music, from classical to Bollywood.
Q. Being from a non-film background, was it difficult for you to make it till here?
A. I have never considered myself an outsider. I wanted to work in Hindi music, so I came to this city [Mumbai]. The city has loved and appreciated me wholeheartedly. Bollywood, too, has welcomed me and appreciated me. This in fact was the driving force and gave me great motivation to further follow my dream. The city never let me down. It has been a fun ride to meet new people and jam with amazing musicians. Now it is just getting better and better for me. I’m thankful to God for that.
Q. How important do you think is formal training when it comes to choosing music as a profession?
A. Formal training is very important, but along with that, daily riyaaz is important too. The passion and curiosity for learning new things also play an essential role. While curiosity drives you to explore the world of music world, formal training helps in understanding all kinds of techniques of music, and in enhancing your performance on the stage or in the studio.
Q. Who has been your greatest influence?
A. On a personal level, it was my parents—they have been the greatest influence on me. In any person’s life, parents play an important role in shaping their career. My father taught me how to be a self-made man just like he is. Leaving my legacy behind, I decided to come out of my comfort zone with a guitar in my hand, to work towards my dreams. This wouldn’t have been possible without my parents’ support. Legendary artistes like Kishor Da, Rafi Sahab, Nusarat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab have strongly influenced my musical knowledge. They have been such phenomenal personalities from the world of music who dared to bring new genres, new styles to life.
Q. You have sung songs in Telugu and Bengali as well. How different is it for you to sing songs in languages other than Hindi?
A. It takes a lot of preparation when it comes to singing in Bengali and Telugu. I remember when we dubbed my first Telugu song, we faced difficulty with my pronunciation.
“Tor Ashiqui”, my first Bengali song, was a Western influenced rock song. Singing my first Bengali song was a little easier, but Telugu was way too difficult for me. Thaman [a Telugu music composer] had called me to Chennai for the first recording. I wrote down Telugu words in English to understand the meaning and vibe of the song. It was tough in the beginning, but now I have got the hang of it. My next is with Jeet Ganguly for Bengali and Tanishk Bagchi for Telugu. Now, I grasp the meaning and pronunciation quickly and my diction has improved as well.
Q. Any particular genre of music that prefer over others?
A. Well, I would not say I am into any one genre in that way. I am more into music. I listen to many forms of music—be it pop, rock, classical, semi-classical, Western. After the arrival of the digital age, I explored thousands of genres, and I don’t particularly stick to any one. I follow artistes from Africa, France and so on. Audiences tag me as a romantic and soulful singer, but Bollywood taught me to experiment and I kept doing that. From soulful to romantic to dance to pop, I’m open to experimenting. I don’t want to restrict myself in any way.
Q. You have lent your voice to some very popular remakes, like “Humma Humma” (from Ok Jaanu) and “Kisi Se Pyar Ho Jaye” (Kaabil) . Do you feel the pressure of expectations while working on such projects?
A. You feel the pressure not only when you’re remaking songs. The need to make my own songs better than the previous ones puts me under immense pressure. I feel that pressure before every song. As a music lover, I am here to enjoy music. Whenever I sing recreated songs, I enjoy them and try to make them my own. That’s the reason my recreations have been loved by people. I treat all my songs the same way.
Q. Do you think Indian listeners prefer party numbers over soulful melodies?
A. Yes, specifically the young generations who have lost interest in classical music. Otherwise, the audience here is quite into soulful music. Party numbers are loved for some time, and then people move on to other songs. But soulful music will live much longer.
Q. Is there anything more that you would like to explore as a singer?
A. Yes, there is a lot to be explored music-wise. I have so much music and many sounds to work on. With “Humnava Mere”, I got a chance to explore independent music. I want to explore more in that space and get to know what else my voice can do. I am doing things which are unthinkable and doing them well is quite motivating… It’s a continuous learning process.
Q. Do you have any pre-show rituals? How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically before a live performance?
A. My pre-show ritual is just to tune my guitar, go on stage and kill it. I don’t think too much. Many a time during performance, I tend to get into a zone where I forget that I am on stage and start enjoying my own songs. I always prepare myself mentally and physically for the live performance so that I am able to present the best version of myself. I am always excited before live performances.
Q. Tell us about your upcoming projects.
A. I have recently sung a Holi song for the film Genius.
It’s my first collaboration with Himesh Reshammiya and it is my first ever Holi song, too.
Another song is in Jalebi, a movie produced by Mahesh Bhatt. It’s called “Tum Se”, composed by the duo Akanksha-Samuel. Another one is for the upcoming movie Loveratri, composed by Tanishk Bagchi. It is a duet dance number.