Ek Tukda Dhoop, Dil, Hua Main, Mashooqa, and Humesha may sound completely different from one another, but they all have one thing in common: Raghav Chaitanya’s voice. Over the years, the playback singer has moved effortlessly between soulful ballads, romantic tracks, and upbeat numbers, never letting himself be boxed into one style. Now, with Mashooqa and Humesha from Cocktail 2 striking a chord with listeners, Raghav is enjoying a phase where trying something new matters just as much as creating good music. In a candid chat with CE, he opens up about his latest song, working with composer Pritam Chakraborty, his idea of success, and why, for him, every new song is another fresh start.
Talking about what first drew him to Mashooqa and what it was like recording the song, Raghav says, “It’s been a year since I dubbed it for the first time. Pritam dada had given me the song and asked me to sing it in a way that sounded happy. That was the brief. I found it very nice because it felt very fresh. It’s a very Latin kind of song, which has not come to India, and I was very happy to sing it.”
While the song feels full of life, Raghav says he didn’t have to do much to get into that mood while recording. “I’m generally very happy in life,” the singer shares.
As listeners continue to associate him with soulful romantic tracks, Raghav says he wants to keep surprising them with different music. “I want to sing everything. I don’t want to limit myself and want to experiment more. If you’ve heard Ek Tukda Dhoop, you’ll know that it’s very different from what I’ve sung in Metro In Dino or Cocktail 2. I want people to experiment with my voice too and not typecast me into one kind of music,” he narrates.
Reflecting on his long association with composer Pritam and how their collaboration has evolved over the years, Raghav observes, “I’ve been working with him since 2020. I sang my first song with him in Ludo, which was the climax song. Over the last five years, the more we’ve worked together, the more freedom I’ve had. He’s the kind of person who gives you the song and the brief, and then lets you free-flow with it.”
Looking back at his journey, he doesn’t believe there was one defining breakthrough that changed everything. “Every song gives you something. My first song in a film was in Thappad, and that was very special because a lot of people heard me through it, and I started singing in movies. Then I sang in Ek Villain Returns. Every day is a new day. No matter how big a song you get, the hunger to do more never goes away. There is no turning point. You sing a song; sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t,” he mentions.
Giving a glimpse into what a typical day looks like when he is creating music, the singer notes, “My creative process is very simple. I stay in my studio room all day, where I make music and sing songs for composers, mostly from there. I also listen to different kinds of music and sometimes make music for myself. Then I have a PS5 in my studio room, so I’ll do music for 50 minutes and then start playing a game. It goes alternately, and sometimes friends come over too.”
Explaining what success means to him, Raghav reflects, “I don’t measure success by numbers. If someone is very famous but isn’t happy from within, then I don’t think that’s success. For me, success is doing what you love and simply being happy from the inside.”
Opening up about the contrast between his on-screen musical persona and who he is in real life. Raghav admits, “People often think I’m a very serious guy because I have a lot of serious songs. But when they meet me, they realise I’m not serious at all. I’m always joking, and I don’t take life and everything too seriously.”
Speaking about what listeners can expect from him in the coming months. Raghav says, “There are a lot of songs coming this year.”
Talking about singing more songs in the Telugu industry, Raghav concludes, “I sang the Ammayi song for Animal in Telugu. That’s the only song. I would love to sing more because people would love to hear me sing in Telugu. It’s a very cool, sweet, and nice language. I also love Sandeep Reddy Vanga sir and would love to collaborate with him again.”