I am a singer today only because of Asha Bhosle ji: Arjun Kanungo

Arjun Kanungo, who arrived on the pop music scene with the 2015 chartbuster single Baaki Baatein Peene Baad says that it is only because of legendary singer Asha Bhonsle that he took to singing. He recalls, “I self-taught myself how to play the guitar since nobody from my family knows music. I remember Asha ji was looking for a guitarist for her band. At the auditions, when I saw her, my hands started shaking, and that was a big problem since I was playing at the same time! She asked me to sing impromptu, and her first reaction was ‘You’re not only a guitarist, you are a singer too’. She told me that I have a beautiful voice and that’s where it all started for me”, says the 28-year-old, who played in her band for years.

Not many people know that Arjun’s first break in Bollywood was the song Khoon Choos Le in the film Go Goa Gone in 2013 followed by Learn to Adjust in Mai (2013) and Tum Chal Diye in Pizza (2014). On the debate about musicians never being given enough credit for a film’s success, Arjun says, “This needs to change. In the pop scene, it has changed a lot. But lately, certain Indian music labels have released non-film music videos online in which big actors lip-sync the song, and the singer is nowhere to be seen. Why can’ they just feature the singer opposite the actor? In this way, equal exposure can be given to both of them.”

His music videos have featured popular actors such as Sonam Kapoor and Sonal Chauhan. Does he feel insecure that his hard-work might get overshadowed by the presence of such celebrities? “If the story in the music video demands a star, only then I take one. Right now, Sonam is one of the biggest stars in the country. I am nowhere close to these actors who appear in my videos. My career has just begun, and I love to work with them. Also, if my product is really good, then why should I be worried?”says Arjun.