Music goes beyond boundaries: Mohammed Irfan

Music goes beyond boundaries'

Mohammed Irfan on his Pakistani playback debut, comparisons to Arijit Singh and more...

Bryan Durham

Hyderabad boy, former music reality show star and for quite some time now, an in-demand playback singer for Bollywood, Mohammed Irfan's is a fairly familiar voice. Having worked with some of the the best composers since debuting with Lamhaa in 2010 (for Mithoon that time), he is a talent to watch out for. Like any good Bollywood playback singer, he has expanded his resume by singing in other languages as well, and that has held him in good stead. His most recent outing saw him sing for a Lollywood film called Sawaal 700 Crore Ka, which stars veteran actor Javed Sheikh in a significant role. The song Bin Tere was recently released and the film is in the news for high-octane action sequences and for taking on Salman Khan's Sultan in the same week of release.

Excerpts from our chat...

What does it mean to you to make your singing debut in Lollywood?

I've always received an overwhelming response from my listeners in Pakistan, for all my songs in Bollywood. And now Bin Tere is my first song for a Pakistani movie. I think its a very good composition and I had a great time recording it. I dedicate this song to all my Pakistani fans. I hope people like this song not only in Pakistan but in my country, too.

What drew you to the song? Who is it going to be picturised on? What is its USP?

I liked the tune when I heard it for the first time. Even the lyrics are good. And the fact that it was a part of a Pakistani film made it more interesting. It's usually the other way round when our singer-brothers from Pakistan are invited to sing in Bollywood, but this time, it feels nice to see that their industry felt I was a good choice to render this song. It's a good example of the fact that music goes beyond boundaries.

Don't you think Bin Tere is the most overused hook phrase in lyrics?

I dont think so. And even if it is, then it doesn't matter unless the melody is attractive and the lyrics justify the particular situation in the movie and take the story forward.

Why do you think you constantly get compared with Arijit Singh?

I feel its an honour for me to be compared to Arijit, as he's one of the most amazing singers I have ever heard. I think the comparison arises simply because of the kind of songs we get to sing. Although Arijit has covered almost all genres, but people have appreciated his love songs a lot. And for me, its been similar with my songs too.

In one interview, Arijit Singh has mentioned that he was dropped from a Meet Bros song from Kick because Salman Khan dropped him. That song went to you. Why do you think you were chosen?

First of all, my song in Kick, Tu Hi Tu was composed my Himesh ji, and not Meet Bros. I have no idea if its the same song which Arijit had sung earlier. I was called by Himeshji to record the song and I'm very grateful to him for giving me my first song for Salman Bhai. It's a usual thing in our industry these days to try different voices for a song before finalising one.

Except for Mithoon and Himesh Reshammiya, you've rarely been repeated by a composer. Why do you think that is?

A singer records many songs but not all songs release in his/her voice. Replacements happen. I'm very happy to be working with many composers these days and I share a great rapport with all of them. Fortunately, I have got more releases with Mithoon Sir and Himeshji as compared to other composers and I'm very thankful to them for the trust they show in me.

Apart from Hindi, what languages do you enjoy singing in, the most?

I've enjoyed singing in many languages like Odia, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, but I've had some big hits in Bengali. I'm thrilled to see the response of my Bengali listeners, it gives me confidence to do better.

What's next?

My single with Zee Music Company, Zikr Tera is out. My next release is Dhai Akhar from the movie Ishq Click and later, a song by Mithoon sir in Shab.

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