BENGALURU: Shailendra Singh was in his second year in Film Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, when he got his break in the film industry. He took up the offer he got to be the playback singer for the film Bobby. Talking to CE about his big break in the industry, he says, “I started with Raj Kapoor with Bobby, that was one of the best starts anyone could hope for. I was lucky to be introduced by him and that was a super hit film in which all the songs were a hit.”
Recalling his time with Raj Kapoor, he says, “Raj Kapoor has a great ear for music. He understood music. He understood romance and I think no one ever made better romantic films than Raj Kapoor, with great music of course. I got to know Rishi Kapoor who is a great friend to this day.”
But the singer wanted to get into the film industry to become an actor. He has even acted in a few Hindi and Bengali films. He says, “I actually wanted to become an actor, that’s why I went to FTII in Pune. I was learning singing from childhood as I loved it. And then suddenly, I get this break and I became a singer. Not that I regret it, I enjoy singing more than acting. It gives immense satisfaction.”
‘Easy to become a singer today’
Drawing a comparison between the industry during the times of singers such as Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey, and today where most stars turn singers, Shailendra says, “It was difficult to get a break in the industry those days. Now, it is very easy, everyone is singing today, including all the stars. You can catch someone from the paan shop and say, you sing this song.
That’s the kind of singing we are hearing today.” Even technology, he claims has played a role in the kind of music we hear. Earlier, they would only sing live with the help of acoustic instruments. But these days, every sound that is produced from the keyboard may be melodious, but not authentic. He further goes on to add that with the help of auto tuners, ‘we try to put it all into sur’. “We don’t realise that by squeezing voice to get into sur only reduces the volume of the voice and makes it sound squeaky. The more you compress, the more thin it becomes and they are not bothered. We want everyone to sing. That is why so many singers now fizzle out fast. That’s the tragedy of today’s music.”
Giving his word of advice to budding singers in the industry, he says, “They should practice every day. Please don’t try to imitate singers. It may get you a song, but you’ll lose your identity, you’ll just be a clone. I’ve heard some new singers who sing like Arijit Singh. Why can’t they sing in their own voice?”