Neeti Mohan and Anu Malik, who share the judges’ panel with Himesh Reshammiya in the new season of Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, chat about the show, the impact of artificial intelligence on music and the resurgence of Bollywood.
NEETI MOHAN
Q. Your sisters Shakti and Mukti shared with t2 last year how your son keeps everyone on one’s toes. What news of him?
Aryaveer is the first child on both my and my husband’s side of the family. He is two now. So he keeps us all excited and I have to give updates to everyone about when he has woken up, how has he eaten, if he has gone to school, what clothes he is wearing....
Q. How is he reacting to your leaving home for the shoot?
He is used to me going out for work. He was 13-14 months old when I did Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs last year. He knows his mother has to work and she goes to office every day. That’s what he has been told.
Q. After judging Li’l Champs last year, now that you are judging seniors, how is your approach different?
Kids have such innocence that anything they do is cute and we appreciate that. When you deal with seniors with ambition, who are here to pursue their career, you have to be their mentor and guide them right. Sometimes you have to be honest and tell them their time has not come yet and they will have to work on a particular aspect of their musicianship. Here we are in a serious business where we are really guiding them. I do it with a lot of love and encouragement. When one is a child one has a lot of time to explore one’s likes and dislikes. But if they are 17 and they have decided to do music, we don’t want to waste their time. We have to tell them to use the next six months either to improve their sargam or play an instrument or write songs, or learn music production.
Q. You and Anu Malik are back for this season. Himesh Reshammiya joins you in place of Shankar Mahadevan. Have you worked earlier with him?
I have sung for him in films like Kick and Sanam Teri Kasam. But this is the first time we are judging a show together. Of course, when he is directing me in a studio, it is a different thing. Here we are creating a show together and the common motive is to bring the best singers on the show and make it fun to watch.
Q. Both Anu Malik and Himesh are spirited characters on camera. Does that make your job easier or do you feel pressure to match up to them?
They are bundles of spirit and energy. I love it. I am my happy self, encouraging participants and having a good time. But I am not high-spirited as they are — in between, you can say.
Q. And that’s also where you sit, in between.
Yes (laughs out loud).
Q. Tell us about the talent in this season. You have shared reels of a couple of them, a boy from Kalimpong and a girl from Kharagpur.
This time a lot of talent is from Calcutta and smaller towns (of Bengal) like Siliguri, Darjeeling — at least 50 per cent. The whole state is talented and people are born with musicality. About a hundred were shortlisted and they performed in front of us in an auditorium. From them, we chose the top 30, which will be brought down to top 12. A couple of them will get their independent singles recorded.
Q. There is a question mark rising over almost every industry, including the music industry, with the emergence of AI. There are reels doing the round with AI singing Kal Ho Naa Ho title song in a voice almost perfectly cloning Arijit Singh, using pre-loaded songs of his as sample. What are your thoughts on the development?
You cannot stop advancement in technology. AI is everywhere. I don’t think you should be worried. I suppose it will be a craze initially. But the human factor will always remain unique and real. Something which is called artificial will always remain artificial.
Q. How Arijit-sounding are those AI songs?
I saw a couple of those Reels that were sent to me. I was amazed. Hats off to the person who spent time — a lot of time — to make those. But the human factor in the voice, the magic that is created in a live performance, can never be there. You can make out where the breath is taken (in a human voice). I can totally raise my voice (speaks at a higher pitch). AI too can do it but the dynamics will not be as impressive, like expressions will be slightly muted.
Q. Tomorrow if you hear a Neeti Mohan AI voice doing the rounds, how would you react?
Good point. I have not thought about this.
Q. What would happen if someone were to use such an AI-generated recording commercially without your consent?
Even if someone does this, don’t you think he will be able to do it only once, twice or at most five times? There will be laws to stop them and protect the individuality of artistes. I am sure lawyers are bringing these clauses into the contracts and the music companies are working to secure rights for these situations. We have to protect our creative rights.
Q. Recently the film industry has seen a couple of big hits.
Absolutely. This has been the most amazing time. Last couple of years, people did not show up much in the theatres because of the pandemic and other reasons. With OTTs, there is so much entertainment on their phones. But the success of Gadar 2, Rocky Aur Rani (Kii Prem Kahaani) and OMG2 have changed the narrative again and brought back the theatre culture in our lives. I am taking my parents to see Gadar2 and they are going to the cinema after so long. I have a song in that and they wanted to see it on screen. The last movie I had seen was Gangubai Kathiawadi, in which too I had sung a song. Everyone, producers and directors, are rejoicing. There is sudden movement in the industry because these films received massive response. Cinema will always remain magical.
Q. While technicians and actors were getting work in OTTs too, do you think the music industry desperately needed big-screen films to work as OTTs do not use as many songs?
There was this recent film of Aparshakti Khurana called Jubilee, which had music by Amit Trivedi. All the songs were trending. I liked that Sunidhi (Chauhan) song, Voh tere mere ishque ka (hums). Another film called Qala had this song, Ghodey pe sawar. For an OTT song to trend on (Instagram) Reels is a big thing. Qala was about a musician, Jubilee was about filmmaking…. Both were about entertainment, so they had music. But yes, the scale was not so grand as that of the songs of Rocky Aur Rani or Gadar 2.
Q. What comes next from you?
I have recorded a beautiful bhajan which we would release during Ganapati (festival). It’s an independent single. I love doing devotional music.
Q. Have you persisted with any of your lockdown creations?
We have created an act called Mohan Sisters Live with singing, dancing and acting. I love performing with my sisters. Check out MSL when we come to Calcutta in early October for a college show.
ANU MALIK
Q. Last year, you judged Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs. How is your approach different now for the seniors’ show?
I enjoy discovering new talent. Our country has fantastic talent. I have judged a lot of seniors’ shows but this is my first for Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. When you talk to a child, you have to speak the language that they understand. They are talented and they want to achieve something. So even if they make a mistake, you can tell them: “Don’t worry, don’t do it again.” But seniors are expected to work that much harder. This time we are looking for an OG (original gangsta) singer.
Q. What do you mean by that?
Voices like Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafi, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar were completely original — OG. Then there were singers who were influenced by others.
If you notice Arijit’s voice, it is his voice. He is a man born with this voice. Udit Narayan is also completely original. But Kumar Sanu, Mohd Aziz, Shabbir Kumar — everyone had influences. Kumar Sanu is a great singer. Sonu Nigam is a fantastic singer but he had to do major riyaz to come out after starting (singing) in Mohd Rafi style. Even the great composers — Shankar Jaikishen, RD Burman, my father (Sardar Malik) had influences. But the question is how do you come into your own? Himesh Reshammiya has his own voice. You will know Anu Malik’s voice from 100 miles away. OG singers come with their own voices.
Q. You are one of the few active composers who has worked with Kishore Kumar. Is it true that you owe your singing career to him?
Kishoreda was supposed to sing this song Julie Julie for me in Jeete Hai Shaan Se. But he was busy. Then we tried Amit Kumar. He also did not come. Mithunda’s dates were available (for shooting). The director told me to dub the song and when Kishoreda would be available he would sing it. So Kavita (Krishnamurti) and I recorded the song. But Mithunda heard the song and said whoever has done the song, I want his voice. Mithunda was superstar at that time. He blessed me. Otherwise the world would never have heard Oonchi hai building, lift teri bandh hai (Judwaa 2).
Q. Coming to the question of originality, the world is seeing AI threatening to create an impact in almost every industry. Voices of great singers are being cloned to generate songs they never sang.
You cannot stop the advancement of technology. But no one can take away one’s inner talent. You cannot wish away AI. Laws are being formulated to see it cannot encroach on everything that humans do. AI can replicate the voice, but it can’t replicate the person. Can AI perform at a show? We will still have to be called to perform. IPRS (Indian Performing Right Society) is coming out with new laws. Governments are looking into how much can be allowed. Let technology coexist. AI is a friend, let’s dance together. Despite there being Netflix, a new TV show (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa) is being made. TV and cinema have both survived OTT, haven’t they?
Q. Tell us about the format of the show and the participants.
A girl amazed me with her rendition of my song in Aks, Aja gufaon mein aja. I am telling you the ones being left behind at the top 12 stage this season will be equally good, such is the quality of the lot that has come. Who will go till the end will finally be the public’s call, not the judges’.
Q. Viewers often wonder what happens to these singers after a show is over.
This time Himesh (Reshammiya) and I have decided that we will give four original songs composed by us to participants that will be released by Zee Music. It will be a great launch for them. I may give the songs to any two singers that I like, the OG voices. Himesh will do the same. Of them, one should be the winner as one expects him or her to be deserving enough to win. They can then take this to other music companies. Such a break has never been given on any reality show.
Q. You and Neeti were both there last year in Li’l Champs. This time Himesh Reshammiya has joined as the third judge.
I had done another show with Himesh. I get along very well with him. We are on the same page most of the time.
Q. Will you compose for a film releasing on OTT? Your Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (starring Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal) must have been the most successful soundtrack for a film that was released on TV (in 1993)...
Thank you. It’s a coincidence that even that was on Zee TV. I had loved the story. If the content is good, it cannot fail. Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt inspired me to come out with that music. If someone comes to me with a great subject for television or any OTT platform, I will do the film provided there is something to do for me in the film and they understand my take.
I have done one song for an OTT film that will come out. Right now the makers are in a fix. They don’t know which way to go. Gadar 2 has proved if the content is good, the public will go to the hall. Even OMG2 has done well. If a great subject comes to me on an OTT platform, I will do it. And I will try to create history again.
Q. Films doing well in cinemas must be great news for the music industry. OTT shows, after all, have not embraced music like they are taken as integral to big-screen films.
Music is in every Indian’s DNA. People will keep hearing music whichever be the medium. But the success of these films (in theatres) is a great new beginning for the Hindi film industry. All the composers, writers and singers have been waiting for this day.
(Sa Re Ga Ma Pa airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9pm on Zee TV)