'The sincerity and commitment to art is something you don't see much these days; it's more about the moolah.'
Singing diva Alisha Chinai turns 60 on March 18, and gets us all nostalgic about the hit songs she has created.
She tells Subhash K Jha, 'Hindi film music will survive as long as the music is good.'
How does it feel to turn 60?
I feel like a cat who has survived nine lives!
How did you bring in your birthday?
I saw The Phantom Of The Opera at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, followed by a Mexican dinner. I couldn’t have hoped for a better birthday.
Why don’t we hear you anymore?
Is there anything worthy of me?
But seriously, I am getting my mojo back and hope to be reborn once again.
What do you think of the current trends in popular music?
New trends, composers and singers are all very good. Tanishk Bagchi, Diljit Dosanjh, Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghosal are ruling the roost.
Punjabi songs and artistes have taken over in a big way.
The sincerity and commitment to art is something you don't see much these days; it's more about the moolah.
Is playback singing dead?
I had predicted that it's a good as well as a bad thing.
I miss it but the end of playback was inevitable.
Audiences have grown up now.
Listeners are exposed to western sounds and are appreciating independent singers.
Hindi film music will survive as long as the music is good.
Which songs do you consider to be your milestones?
Made in India and Kajra Re.
These two numbers define my career.
When Made In India came out, listeners were thunderstruck. They had not heard anything like it before.
A lot of the impact for Kajra Re must go to Aishwarya Rai.
Who are your singing idols?
I have so many, the list is endless.
But on the top of my head, there are a four names: Lata Mangeshkar, Noorjehan, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.
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