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| Edited By: Harshada Rege |Source: DNA |Updated: Jul 07, 2017, 06:00 AM IST
While acting is a huge part of Ayushmann Khurrana’s life, music has an equally important role to play in it. In his debut movie too, he sang a hit song (Paani Da Rang), that he and his friend composed during their college days. Since then, the actor has balanced his life in front of the camera and behind the mic with equal commitment. Here he speaks to us about the musical influences that shaped his tastes and why he didn’t have to depend on heartbreak to awaken the artiste in him...
As a child, I used to get classical training, but I never took it seriously. I always wanted to be an actor. Even in college, I had the option of joining a music club or a theatre club. So I picked theatre over singing. We used to do street theatre, stage plays and compose as well, so music was never away from me. Paani Da Rang, Saddi Galli, Mitti Di Khushbu are my old compositions, which were revealed to the world now. I have never lived without music. My musical influences are very varied — from retro music to ghazals to Sufi music. I listen to every kind of music. You associate one particular sound to a certain moment in your life.
There are a lot of songs like that. I used to listen to Papa Hehte Hain because I wanted to make my father proud. In that phase, I wanted to do well in class or sports and make my parents proud. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar’s Pehla Nasha is a quintessential love song when you fall in love for the first time. I used to sing Hume Tumse Pyaar Kitna for my wife. There’s Hawa Hawa by Hasan Jahangir that I remember dancing to at birthday parties when I was five. If I were to make a mixtape, then these are the songs that I would have on it.
No, I don’t. But you know what, I don’t miss them because in DLH and MPB I always had them on the sets. But, Parineeti Chopra claims she has some audio cassettes. I would love to see them. I remember mixtapes...
I had lots of them. I still remember the combinations... I remember there were Dil and Aashiqui, then I had full albums of Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad Aayi and Hum. I still remember that in these audio cassettes, the end of Side B would have a teaser of a new movie. We miss those things, but now we have ads on YouTube. But they come in the beginning, not in the end. End mein aate toh shaayad hum stop hi kar dete (laughs). Nothing has changed really, except for the format. The nostalgic value it has, is different.
When I was in Standard 7, the walkman had become a fad. I remember kids used to go on a picnic, you are going together… some 60-70 of us... why do you need your own music, if you are going together (laughs)? It was just a style statement that I have a walkman, this is my music, you go to hell, I don’t care about you. It was very illogical, but yeah, everyone had a walkman then.
I have never been through a heartbreak... unfortunately (laughs loudly). Ek heartbreak kiya tha maine.
Yes, just one. I was in all-boys’ school and college, so my interaction with women was minimal. My first crush was in the fifth standard that time; I was in a co-ed. We used to have crushes on teachers, though (laughs).
I have a very imaginative mind. I just imagine that I have had a heartbreak.
Ataullah khan used to have crazy heartbreak songs. I love ghazals and a lot of ghazals are about heartbreak. From Ghulam Ali to Mehdi Hasan... songs like Ranjishein Hi Sahi Dil Hi Dukhane Ke Liye Aa. I think that’s a perfect heartbreak song. Then there’s Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo...that’s also about heartbreak.
