Neeraj Shridhar, known for hit tracks like "Race" and "Love Aaj Kal", attributes much of his success to the title song of Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Before making his mark in Bollywood, he was already recognized as a composer and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the Indian pop-rock group Bombay Vikings. The band gained popularity with remix hits like Kya Soorat Hai, Woh Chali and Chhod Do Anchal. Lehren had a special conversation with Neeraj Shridhar around the time Woh Chali was about to release. Let’s revisit that flashback interview in the latest Lehren Podcast to know more about the making of Woh Chali, his musical journey and more. #neerajshridhar #wochaliwochali #bombayvikings #lehrenpodcast #podcast #lehren #flashback
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00:00It went, it went, let's see the love of love, no one can stop her.
00:09It went, it went, let's see the love of love.
00:17No one has failed my love, let's see the love of love.
00:25to the newcomers is not to go by the the liking of the critics just follow your heart
00:48What kind of album is it?
00:55If you say something about style, it's a very simple album with very simple music and simple lyrics to it
01:09which is Hummepo
01:13and there is nothing else in it, because today we are passing through
01:20there is no time for anyone to make so complicated music
01:25which I think I can also make, which takes the same amount of time as this one
01:32making easy albums is not easy, it takes time, it takes effort
01:40there is also an art to make an easy album, an easy sounding album
01:45so a man says a lot, it's a simple album
01:49in which music is also simple, it's hummable, it's all about love, nothing very complicated
02:02a music is not complicated either, technically yes, it's very complicated but theoretically it's very simple
02:12so it's a very simple album, I think it's very great or complicated about it
02:19so it's a very simple album, I think it's very great or complicated about it
02:24I think that it's a record company, which is chosen by the record company, which is chosen by the record company
02:31it's a very simple album, it's a very simple album, I think it's very simple, it's very simple, it's a very simple album
02:41How many songs are there?
02:43There are 9 songs, 9 songs
02:47and one song is repeated again.
02:50I have not done it.
02:52There is a record company which has chosen
02:55that it should be repeated.
02:57They have done that.
02:59There will be some meaning of it.
03:02There are 9 songs.
03:05There are 3 songs
03:08which I always say is re-done,
03:11but people say that it is a remix.
03:13Like, you know,
03:14What is the beauty?
03:16The kind of thing I did.
03:17Who did it? I did it.
03:19And there is another song,
03:22Aja Aja Main Hoon Pyaar Tira.
03:25That one I have re-done.
03:27And there is another song.
03:30Yeah.
03:32In English, they say that
03:34I love you, something like that.
03:36Amitabh Ji had sung that.
03:39On that.
03:40And that's all.
03:43The rest of the music is my own.
03:45And even in these,
03:50why I call them re-done is
03:51because the music is the form
03:53I have given it to myself.
03:56It is not straight from there.
03:59There is no system that
04:01you have made a remix.
04:03Words are also there.
04:05The song is there.
04:06The music is there.
04:07The music is there.
04:08It is only made a melody.
04:09It is made a melody.
04:10It is made a melody.
04:12It is made a melody.
04:13It has made a different thing.
04:15It has made different things.
04:16And the lyrics have been changed.
04:18And the moment you change the lyrics,
04:19it gives you,
04:20It gives different feel to the song,
04:23to the whole song.
04:25It doesn't remain the same song.
04:27Like I will,
04:28that will go.
04:29It is completely different thing.
04:31I have said here.
04:33You know?
04:34So, it has to change the lyrics.
04:39It has to change the singing style.
04:41It has to change the singing style.
04:43I will not say this remix.
04:45What I say is that I can't change it.
04:49But, yeah, but still it sounds good.
04:52To my ears at least.
04:54Is the music director or the lyric director?
04:57It is me.
04:59All in all.
05:00I have written the lyrics.
05:04I have made the music.
05:07And I have recorded.
05:10Almost 90% of the instruments are played by me.
05:13And, uh, and, uh, I myself, family sound engineer.
05:19I have recorded.
05:21And, uh, you know, it's all in all.
05:24Like, you're doing the job.
05:25So, it feels good.
05:28Like, when you do everything,
05:30then the result of the result is a little bit better.
05:33So, you get the appreciation of everything you have done.
05:38It is different.
05:40It's different.
05:41It's different than when you just sing a song and sing.
05:43You have written something else.
05:44And, uh, it's different than the music director.
05:45I don't know how it will happen.
05:46I don't know how it will happen.
05:47I don't know how it will happen.
05:48But, it's very fun.
05:50And it means that everything is being appreciated.
05:52Like, one thing you have done.
05:54You have done it.
05:55You have done it.
05:56You have done it.
05:57You have done it.
05:58You have done it.
05:59It feels really good.
06:00I'm really thrilled that this album is doing well.
06:02And people are liking it.
06:03It feels great.
06:05Who is the director of this album?
06:06Who is the director of this album?
06:08Video director is Raju Khan.
06:13His son of Saroj Khan.
06:16And he's a great guy.
06:18We're good pals.
06:20Actually, the whole thing started off from, you know, thinking about what is the beauty.
06:27What happened is that I had never shown myself properly in any video.
06:33So, people started saying, you're not so bad looking.
06:38You can also be in a video.
06:40I said, no, no.
06:41I don't want to do that.
06:43But, you know, the time comes when you feel that it's time to show yourself to your fans.
06:49And to the rest of the people also.
06:52So, we decided.
06:54It was Vinay Sapru from Universal Music India.
07:00He said to me, no, no.
07:02We've got to have a video on you.
07:04And I also felt very strongly about it.
07:07So, they said that now this time we are trying to show here is that it's not the video which sells music.
07:17Music which sells it itself.
07:20So, the video is very simple as you know.
07:23There is no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
07:27Simple.
07:28I sit on one place.
07:29I want to stand there because I want to be a lot of difficulty.
07:32I want to stand there because I want to stand there.
07:34You know, it's a simple kind of video.
07:37It's the music.
07:39People pay more attention to the lyrics, to the song, to the music.
07:44So, I think I like it.
07:47I like it.
07:48And I like it because I am there also.
07:52Could you sing for us, Vochali Vochali?
07:54You want me to sing that?
07:55Yeah.
07:56You can do that.
07:57Okay.
07:58Let's do it.
07:59You want to sing along with me?
08:01Here.
08:03Vochali, Vochali,
08:07Dekho Pyaar Ki Gali,
08:10Usse Roke Na Koi.
08:13Vochali, Vochali,
08:17Vochali,
08:18Vochali,
08:19Vochali,
08:20Vochali,
08:21Vochali,
08:22Vochali,
08:23Vochali,
08:24Vochali,
08:25Vochali,
08:26Lutera, Lutena, Meri Jaa
08:31Vachali, Vachali
08:34She's found the love that's real
08:37Now her wounded heart is healed
08:40Finally, finally
08:43Vachali, Vachali
08:46Leaving all her tears behind
08:48Only love's on her mind
08:51Finally, finally
08:55Vachali
08:57Thank you
08:58Being your album has written the lyrics, music
09:01and your songs
09:03Do you have a personal favorite song
09:05that you are close to the heart?
09:09Actually, that song came out
09:11I have a lot of songs
09:13I have a lot of songs
09:15I have a lot of songs
09:17I have two songs
09:21One song
09:23I have a song
09:25Maybe you want to listen to my heart beat
09:27That is also very close to my heart
09:29I have a lot of songs
09:31I have a lot of songs
09:33It's just a feel
09:35I have been in love also
09:37So
09:39There are certain songs
09:41which really touch your heart
09:43a lot
09:45A lot
09:47It's a lot
09:49Something that is connected to your life
09:51It's not completely connected to your life
09:53So
09:54It's a feeling
09:55that I feel
09:56that I have a close to my life
09:58So
10:00These songs are close to my heart
10:02It's not that I have a lot of songs
10:04I love songs
10:06But
10:07They are close to my heart
10:08If you have said
10:10that it's a simple music
10:12What kind of music is it?
10:14I mean
10:15Whatever
10:16Western music
10:17Western with
10:18I see
10:19I have a very good question
10:22I have a very good question
10:24I am thinking
10:26Some people think
10:28that I don't have any fusion
10:30I mean
10:32I don't have any western music
10:34I don't have any special album
10:36I don't have any special album
10:37I don't have any special album
10:38I don't have any special album
10:41People didn't write so
10:42very good about it
10:43That it's going to be
10:44They thought that it's going to be a flaw
10:47So
10:49My suggestion to
10:51the newcomers
10:52I'm sorry
10:53I'm
10:54going away from the question
10:56It's very important
10:57That's why
10:58To the newcomers
11:00is
11:01not to go by
11:02the
11:03The liking of the critics
11:05Just follow your heart
11:07You like something?
11:08Just do it
11:09And
11:10It'll become a hit
11:11I'll show you that
11:12Do it
11:13With all your heart
11:14It will become a success
11:16People
11:17Whatever they think
11:18Just don't bother about it
11:19So
11:20Back to
11:21The thing
11:22See
11:24With music
11:26Fusion
11:28I don't have any trouble
11:30I can do it
11:31I can do it also
11:33And I think
11:34I'll be able to
11:35Handle that
11:36Very well
11:37But
11:39I don't want to do that
11:41Because
11:42I'll become another one
11:43Following the stream
11:45Every Tom, Dick and Harry
11:46Is doing that
11:47And
11:48I am very close to
11:50Western music
11:51Every form of music
11:52Is good
11:53There's nothing bad
11:54I'm Indian
11:55Or
11:56Hardcore Indian
11:57I love my country
11:59I love
12:00Its music
12:01But
12:02I happen to go into
12:03Western music
12:04Also
12:05And I like it
12:06There's nothing wrong about it
12:08I mean people used to
12:09Wear different Indian clothes
12:10Outfits
12:11Now we wear jeans
12:13And we wear different
12:14And they are Western clothes
12:15We like them
12:16We feel very comfortable
12:17In them
12:18And the same way
12:19I feel comfortable
12:20Playing Western music
12:22So
12:23I think
12:24It's good
12:25That
12:26I'll do something
12:27That
12:28The Westernized
12:29People have done it
12:31And they have succeeded
12:33Up to some point
12:34But here
12:35I'm giving completely
12:36Western music
12:37And
12:38I
12:39Maybe
12:40I'll fusion
12:41And I'll show it
12:42To people
12:43That
12:44Yes
12:45I can do this also
12:46There's no problem
12:47About it
12:48But I have kept this album
12:49Very Western
12:50And even my last album
12:51Also
12:52So I've kept it
12:53Completely Western
12:55And I think
12:56There's a sweetness
12:57In that also
12:58You know
12:59Because you have some
13:00Indian elements
13:01Somewhere
13:02They're heard
13:03You can feel them
13:05So
13:06It's good
13:07It's good
13:08It's good
13:09It's good
13:10It's good
13:11It's good
13:12I'll make it
13:13It's good
13:14It's good
13:15So
13:16I'll make it
13:17A little bit
13:18I'll do that
13:19I don't like
13:20Sticking to one
13:21Formal music
13:22How did singing
13:23came as a profession?
13:25I was a profession
13:28I was a profession
13:29I couldn't sing
13:30I couldn't sing
13:31I could forget
13:32My mom
13:33And my mother
13:34She said
13:35She said
13:36She couldn't sing
13:37She couldn't sing
13:38She couldn't sing
13:39So I don't know
13:40Somehow I managed
13:41So
13:43Professionally
13:45First
13:47I used to hold myself back
13:48I used to hold myself back
13:52And
13:53I'd be good
13:54I'd be good
13:55I'd be good
13:56And then
13:57I'd be good
13:58And then
13:59I'd be good
14:00Professionally
14:01In a way
14:02Like college
14:03We used to go
14:04And play in the college festivals
14:05Like winter festivals
14:06And stuff like that
14:07And we used to get
14:08Handsome money
14:09In those years
14:10Pretty good money
14:11So you could call it
14:12Professional
14:13But I call it
14:14Semi-professional
14:15Hardcore professional
14:17When I went to Sweden
14:19And then
14:20I said
14:21No
14:22I'm leaving everything
14:23I left my job
14:24And I said
14:25This is what I'm going to do
14:26Full time
14:28It took a little while
14:29For two or three years
14:30And I thought
14:31That's why
14:32These guys
14:35Like Swedes
14:36They thought
14:37He's an Indian
14:38He wouldn't know how to
14:39You know
14:40Sing or play the guitar
14:41Or play the keyboard
14:42Or anything
14:43But
14:44You have to prove
14:45Yourself to people
14:46And it took
14:47Took me two, three years
14:48And now
14:49Everything is going
14:50It's good
14:51People give me a job
14:52Can you do this?
14:53Can you do that?
14:54Feels good
14:55Thank you
14:56Thank you so very much
14:57And it was nice being with you all
14:59Bye