'Our Hanuman Chalisa Club Mix Is More Interesting Than BTS Or Blackpink,' Says Singer Abhijeet Ghoshal Who Has Won Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 11 Times

The Indian music industry is filled with talented singers and performers. Among them is Abhijeet Ghoshal, a versatile Bollywood singer and performer who has won Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 11 times. He speaks about his latest release, Clubmix Hanuman Chalisa, which is a different take on Hanuman bhakti, his journey in the music industry, and his work in detail.

Excerpts from the interview:

Tell us about your new song Clubmix Hanuman Chalisa.

These days, in almost every interview and among most young people, there is a demand for club mixes. Everyone wants club mixes, even for devotional songs. So, I felt that our most traditional bhajans already have everything needed for a club mix. Be it Aigiri Nandini, Shiv Tandav Stotram, Hanuman Chalisa, Hanuman Ashtak (Bali Samay Ravi Bhakshi Liyo). These are the best club mixes already written thousands of years ago. They just need modern electro rhythm added and fine singing to do the correct pronunciations of these epics. That is why I chose this. First, we begin by invoking our supreme deity, Lord Hanuman, through this club mix.

What was the process of creating the song?

Every creator will agree with me on this: whenever a call comes from above, only then can we actually create. It is something like divine guidance. When something like that happens, and you feel you are meant to do this work, the composition flows out. My Hanuman Chalisa Clubmix took hardly 10 minutes. Then Jason heard it, and he liked it instantly. We planned the music very quickly, and within two to three days, it was done. Mixing and mastering took maybe five days in total. It was Lord Hanuman’s work. Since he moves with the speed of the wind, everything also happens very fast.

Considering it is Hanuman Chalisa, singing it must have had a profound effect on you. Can you share your emotions and thoughts while composing and singing?

For singers, the most important thing is breathing. We inhale air and exhale air. The greatest carrier of air is Lord Hanuman, the son of the wind God (Pavan Putra). That is why worshipping Hanumanji is a must for singers. I have loved the Hanuman Chalisa since childhood. The first versions we heard were by Hari Om Sharanji, then Anup Jalotaji and later Hariharanji. That specific composition has always held a special place in my heart. Creating something different from what we grew up listening to was a challenge, and I am very thankful to Lord Hanuman for making me capable of doing this.

Hanuman Chalisa is something that we all have learned. Everyone remembers him. If you want to do a full practice session focusing on Hanumanji, who is the deity of our breath, then try singing along with the Club Mix. You’ll realise that while it’s rap music, this particular rap is also very meaningful. At the same time, it’s incredibly difficult to take breathing breaks while singing it. As you gradually develop your skills, you’ll realise that it’s just as interesting as Badtameez Dil as interesting as Saari Night Besharmi Ki Height as interesting as BTS or Blackpink’s rap songs. To be honest, our Hanuman Chalisa Club Mix is ​​even more interesting than all of them.

Tell us about your musical journey, including Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, which you won 11 times.

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa started with Sonuji’s season. It was Shaan da’s season when I won 11 times. Then it used to be a knockout format. I would compete with someone, win, and in the next episode, a new challenger would come. We used to shoot three episodes in one day. And we had to learn three to four new songs in just 20 minutes. It was very difficult. Nowadays, one episode is shot in seven days, and you sing only one song. Back then, we had to sing 12 songs in a single day.

After winning 11 times, I quit before shooting the 12th episode and gave the chance to the runner-up. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the very next episode. That’s how my 11-time winning record still remains. Gajendra Singhji was very happy. I had amazing judges like Vilayat Khan Sahab, Rashid Khan Sahab, Hariprasad Chaurasiaji, Naushadji, Jagjit Singhji, Kavita Krishnamurthyji, Khayyam Sahab, and OP Nayyar Sahab and a few more doyens. That is something I will always cherish.

What challenges did you face and how did they hone your skills?

There have been fewer ups and more downs in my journey. But every downfall taught me that I was not musically weak. The competition and calculations in this industry are different, and I was not very good at that. I am a first-generation singer with no professional musical background at home, which makes things difficult. Thanks to my gurus, I kept learning and slowly came out of it. When I started performing bhajans, people were scared that I would stop singing film songs. But my Bollywood shows continued successfully. I balanced both.

Even today, I do more Bollywood shows and fewer bhajan shows, but bhajan enquiries are increasing. After this club mix, we are planning more dancing shows where we sing Bollywood dance numbers and also do 40 to 45 minutes of bhajan clubbing. I have a concept called 'Suron ke Rang Abhijeet ke Sang', where both styles come together beautifully.

Has life changed with your success?

Life has not really changed as such. I am very thankful to my wife Somali, and my daughters. As a musician, you hardly get time for family. When they have holidays, those are our working days. Saturday and Sunday are our busiest days. Understanding this by my family is a blessing in itself. Many superficial relationships faded away; instead, God gave me a very big family of well-wishers and genuine critics who helped me improve. I have friends all over the world. Many people follow my work, listen to my music, and treat me like a family member. I have learned a lot and now I am truly enjoying my musical journey.

How do you view the Indian music scene? Do you find it sorted? Is there scope for improvement?

The scene right now is wonderful. Many youngsters are doing very good work. Amazing music is being made, and beautiful lyrics are being written. Amitabh Bhattacharya writes so well; Irshad Kamil writes beautifully, as Gulzar Sahab is in a different league altogether. He is the Sun for me. Arijit is splendid. Singers like Nakash and Vishal Mishra are doing very well. After Shreya and Sunidhi, we have such talents as Pratibha, Parul, Antara, Ankita and other female singers too. Creative fields always have scope for improvement. If there was no urge to improve, we would still be satisfied with songs from the 1940s or say that Tulsidasji already wrote the Hanuman Chalisa or Surdasji already wrote Maiya Mori. Because there is always an urge to improve, new creations keep happening. That is why the market is very upbeat right now.

What's next in terms of composing or singing?

I am expecting some songs with Salim sir, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Pritam da, and possibly work with Anurag Basu da. Fingers crossed. On International Women’s Day, this 8th March, I am releasing a song about mothers. The tagline is, ‘The one who makes a house a home is a mother (Jo Ghar Ko Ghar Banaati Hai, Wo Hai Maa).’ I have written and composed it myself. Many bhajan clubbing projects are coming up. There is also a song on tea, India’s favourite drink, which I wrote many years ago and will finally be released. There are many concerts coming up, the Nashik Festival, Holi clubbing shows, and more things in the pipeline.