There was a time when you couldn’t help but mention him as the King of Bhangratoday the same epithet is shared by many-a-singers. simultaneously juggling a movie and a singing career, Gurdas Mann admits that he needs to accept the change.
“Let us accept that the sounds of today’s bhangra has changed totally from what it used to sing 10 years back. The mechanical sounds that pep up the song are more popular and there’s less dependency on the lyrics. I have to find out a middle point somehow otherwise I will fade out in the market. You need to change with the times,” says Gurdas.
The singer admits that doing playback has become harder than what used to be when he was ruling the roost. “There was a tendency among musicians to churn out a good song, now it’s all about churning out good music. But look at the good side too, it’s also become more popular and any bhangra song today immediately climbs to the top of the charts,” he adds.
Cajoling Juhi Chawla into making her singing debut for his film Sukhmani was not that hard. “She is a great singer. Only that she needed a good enough track that would bring out the that singer in her. And Juhi’s mother tongue is Punjabi. She didn’t have to train hard to sing that song. It (the song) naturally flowed when she stood in front of the mike,” the singer says.
But is it more about acting than singing right now?
“No, I always wanted to be in the army. But when I got this script, I just couldn’t resist being cast in it. I play a commando in this film who is married to Juhi Chawla. I have tried to honestly portray the trials and tribulations that an army man goes through. But there’s a twist in this tale and that is when a little baby comes into the picture,” he signs off.