With the 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list pitching the rapper, music director and producer at 35th position, a huge jump from 81st rank in 2016, Badshah speaks to us about evolution. Excerpts.
From 81 to 35, that’s a big jump… Yeah! It’s nearly a double leap from last year. Merey se uppar bus PV Sindhu ji hai jinhoney itni lambi jump mari hai. (
Chuckles).
But despite this, do you still get to hear about your genesis from Chandigarh as ‘small town boy’? Ironically, everyone on that list, or whoever has been successful has been from smaller towns, whether its
Kapil Sharma, Dhoni. Like they say, it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, it’s about the size of the fight in the dog. You have to love what you do, be honest with your work, and I think your upbringing is also another huge factor.
What about Indian music? Is that changing at par with international standards, or is it only because we are a huge population hence too visible? This question is debatable. Many factors are at play. For instance, why is Despacito such a hit? There is an explosion in
Latin America
right now because 4G rates have been slashed, similar to what’s happening in India. That is why, number wise- in a matter of few years we will be at par with them. Today, the population is your customer. Also, internet is so vast, kya Despacito, kya
Jagjit Singh ji ki gazal, everything and anything is being consumed. Aap aaj gana nikaloge, apka fan puchega bhai agla gana kab aa ra hai?
You are launching a TV channels while channels are shutting down… Toh, kuch toh hoga usme that I decided to take that risk. It will have North Indian music jo duniya sunti hain, garam hai. Aap aajkal TV kyu ni dekh re hain? Because you have a phone. Har koi phone pe hai. Mera ye message hai, aao baithke TV dekh lo, family time create kar lo. Gardan upar rakho, garden neehcey mat rakho. Pehle hum sube sube uthtey thay, music channel lag jata tha ghr mein, kya vibe aa jati thi uski- parothey ban re hai, jhadoo lag ra hai, kam ho ra hai and music TV pe bajj ra hai.
Jaspreet Nijher, principal correspondent, has been working as a ...
Read MoreJaspreet Nijher, principal correspondent, has been working as a features journalist at The Times of India, Chandigarh, for the past seven years. Her interests range from interacting with people from diverse backgrounds to listening to soft English rock and classical, pop music, reading books on spirituality, philosophy, astrology and fashion. Her hobbies include writing and driving.
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