Ajay Bijli: I wanted to start my musical journey with a prayer

Ajay Bijli, founder of PVR Cinemas and the Managing Director of the nationwide cinema chain PVR INOX Ltd, reflects on the art of singing and considers himself a newcomer in this field. He, along with his band Random Order, paid a musical tribute to COVID warriors during the pandemic.
Now, he has sung Ik Onkar, featured in Shah Rukh Khan's recent release, "Dunki," with video of the song shot at Patthar Saheb in Ladakh.While Ik Onkar is his debut Bollywood song, there are more projects lined up as he continues his collaborations with Amit Trivedi and Swanand Kirkire.


Ajay Bijli says that he has responsibilities towards his company, shareholders, and his people – that's his main job. However, he believes that human beings should not be confined to doing just one thing. "It makes people interesting. I have always liked pursuing other things, whether it's sports or other hobbies. Singing was one thing that always led me, and I thought I must do it," he says.
Talking about his schedule he says,"I wake up at an unearthly hour to do my riyaaz, whether it is the riyaaz my Indian teacher has asked me to do or if I'm having a class with my English (music) teacher based out of LA. Coordinating time is challenging as she is part of a band and travels a lot, but it doesn't eat into my work time. Since I'm financing everything personally, it's not a PVR project; it's my personal project, so it doesn't cannibalize anything. I have to balance it out.
At 5 am, I do my vocal exercises, and then I practice with my band, which is about 2-3 times a week. If I don't practice, I won't be able to sing. That's the schedule I follow in the morning until 6:30, and then I do my workout."

Speaking about the music he is currently practicing, Ajay Bijli says, "These days I'm practicing Hindi as our CEO, Gautam Dutta, has asked me to sing on his birthday. So, I'm practicing a lot of Hindi cover songs."
He shares,"I like singing both Hindi and English songs. Selecting one is causing some confusion in my mind. I might be singing Hindi songs and suddenly switch to old Billy Joel songs. Just the other day, I was singing Hindi songs and thought, 'Let's do 'Human' by The Killers.' I enjoy English songs a lot, but to do an English original needs a lot of preparation. I have already given a brief to my English teacher, and she has engaged someone for me. Hindi was easier because I live here and have access to all music directors.
So, I thought, 'Let me just start somewhere.' I don't know yet whether I want to do Hindi or English songs, but I wanted to start the (musical) journey with a prayer. So, I wanted to start with Ik Onkar."

Bijli has collaborated with Amit Trivedi; who was music director in one of PVR films, 'Ayesha.'
He says,"It was way back, but the songs he made in 'Ayesha' are still appreciated. I love 'Kai Po Che,' and the music of 'Wake Up Sid' was phenomenal. So, I liked him as an artist and music director. There is longevity in his songs; they don't just come and go. People still hum his old songs. I approached him and said I really liked his music. He gave me a collection of 7-10 songs, and I said, 'Listen, keep my profile in your mind; I'm 56 years old and can't be frivolous, and the words need to have some depth and meaning.' He really understood my brief and came up with two songs that I liked. We had discussions with Swanand Kirkire, going back and forth on the lyrics a little bit. Lyrics are crucial."