‘I learnt a lot while having fun’: Payal Dev

Payal Dev has sung zippy tracks such as Bhare Bazaar in Namaste England, Sara Zamana (Kaabil) to Dagmag (Veere Di Wedding). But she has also lent her voice to a classical-based and intense Ab Tohe Jaane Na Dungi (Bajirao Mastani). The songstress talks about her latest song, working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and why she doesn’t miss singing classical songs.

Tell us about collaborating with Badshah and Rishi Rich on Bhare Bazaar...

It was the kind of song I had been wanting to sing. Badshah and I were planning to collaborate for a while now and this track seemed perfect. It’s catchy and enjoyable. It was great to work on the song with Vishal Dadlani and Rishi Rich. They have a keen understanding of what’s trending and what will click. I also learnt a lot while having fun.  

Your debut song Grand Masti was a big hit. Did expect such a good start?

The track in Grand Masti clicked because it was high on the fun quotient. Sanjeev-Darshan are good composers and it was a good opportunity for me to start my Bollywood career. Fortunately, the film did excellent business as well and the song was a big hit.

How was it working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Bajirao Mastani? Did his keen sense of music make things easier as a singer?

It always makes a singer’s job easy when your composer’s vision and sense of music is at par. When I was in school, I always dreamt of singing for Sanjay sir’s films. With Bajirao Mastani, my dream came true and it was one of the most memorable experiences. His vision and knowledge of music make everything he does so majestic. I’m grateful that I got to work with him so early on in my career. 

Being classically trained, do you miss singing such songs since there aren’t too many of those in Bollywood?

Most songs in movies are situational. The composers can add such a piece only if the script demands it. I don’t miss it because I practise daily and soon plan to release a single that will be classical based. 

What else are you working on?

I can’t reveal much about my upcoming projects but I’m working on a few singles that will release soon.