Music Room: Daler Mehndi

“I was born to be a singer and my life is music. No challenges, no regrets, just complete faith, trust and lots of joy.” – Daler Mehndi

Sumita Chakraborty talks to the bhangra king, Daler Mehndi, the man known for his dazzling flowing robes and diamonte studded turbans, who made his kind of music famous worldwide.

He is a legend. A singer par excellence, he is the man who brought bhangra into the global map of music. Meet the amazingly multi-faceted Daler Mehndi, singer, music composer, owner of D Records and so much more, as he talks about his journey from being a cab driver in the US to being one of the most famous singers in India. Read on...

You made Bhangra and Indian pop famous all over the world. How did it all start?

I started my musical career first as a Gurbani singer and then in California, as a Ghazal singer. I made quite a name there. But soon, I realized that if I were to make a mark, it had to be India. In my youth, we were not allowed to listen to Punjabi songs. We could only listen to classical music, Ghazals, Khayal or Thumri.

While driving cabs during weekdays for my brother’s cab company, I would have visions of myself performing live at concerts, wearing long flowing robes and diamonte-studded turban. Twice, I almost met with an accident, and that’s when I decided to make my visions a reality. I came back to India and in 1991, I gathered my brothers and cousins to form a group, “The Daler Mehndi Group”. Within a year, I could barely find time for myself because I was performing for the who’s who of India.

“Amitabh ji called me personally and said, “Main Amitabh Bachchan bol raha hu, kya ap mere sath kaam karenge?”

I represented India at the Annual ‘Voice of Asia’ at Almaty, Kazakhstan in 1993, Bhangra was for the first time put on the Global Map. I was judged as the “Most original voice” heard over in two decades among 183 contesting countries around the world. Back home leading newspapers were ready with titles like ‘an aureate voice”. Mind you, all this was before I came up with an album.

In 1995, my debut album “Bolo Ta Ra RaRa” created history. It was for the first time ever that a regional album crossed the confines of Punjab and how! Bolo Ta Ra Ra sold over 200,000 cassettes in Kerala alone within a week of its launch. Indi Pop had officially arrived erecting a parallel industry to the then existent, classical, devotional and film music and the rest is history.

How did you enter Bollywood?

After “Bolo Ta Ra RaRa” came “Dardi Rab Rab,” which stirred up the nation even more and sent musical shockwaves across the borders that was still savouring “Bolo Ta Ra Ra.” I was very clear that I will do film songs if Amitabh Bachchan would call me. My family and friends would laugh at me when they’d hear me say this. The song Dardi Rab Rab was such a huge hit that it grabbed the attention of Amitabh Bachchan, who was shooting for Mrityudata to make a comeback in the film industry after a long gap. Amitabh ji called me personally and said, “Main Amitabh Bachchan bol raha hu, kya ap mere sath kaam karenge?” and he also requested me to add “Dardi Rab Rab Kardi”. I had time after 2 months. He waited and then I recorded Na Na Na Na Na Re for his comeback film Mrityudata. The song instantly became an anthem.

“They said that Daler Mehndi’s music does very well because it has a pretty women dancing in it. We took the video to Anubhav Sinha and Farha Khan to crack an idea to see how a video could be worked upon with only Daler Mehndi.”

“Every song done by me, be it for AR Rahman, Anu Malik, Vishal Shekhar, MM Kreem, Thaman, Sachin Jigar, Mannan, ShankarEhsaan-Loy, I have bonded with each one of them.”

“Songs that promote filth and pathetic language have nothing to do with music.”

Your song Tunak Tunak Tun went viral… tell us about the making of it?

Tunak Tunak Tun has a very interesting history. The song was Indian Pop Industry’s’ first ever License contract made by an artist. It was the highest ever Fee paid to an Artist. Also it was for the first time ever that a music label took out a paid advertisement in all leading national newspapers – calling me “SUPERLATIVE”, giving its dictionary meaning and equating that to my music. That felt good.

Music companies keep all the rights even to this day: They sign an artist and keep all the rights of the artist. But this was India’s first license contract. Since “Bolo Ta Ra RaRa” till now, from 1995 to 2021, all the songs that you hear - I am not talking about Bollywood songs but independent songs that you hear, From Bolo Ta Ra Ra to Aao Ji - are written, composed, rhythm designed, the music direction all done by yours truly. I write (all mukhdas) and compose my own songs. I also choreograph the hook steps of my songs videosw Coming back to your question, Tunak Tuank went viral but this was a song to which the music label was completely opposed to. This song had a very, very fast BPM (Beats Per Minute) and they were of the opinion that no one will be able to dance on it. Certain articles by the media said that Daler Mehndi’s music does very well because it has a pretty women dancing in it. I was very conscious about it and I wanted to counter these opinions.

I wrote Tunak Tunak singularly, composed it and designed its rhythm. I was clear about what I would wear in the video and what the dance hook step will be. I wanted the video to have only Daler Mehndi.

I have not gone anywhere and I have been busy singing songs, singing Gurbani and Sufi. Main Khargosh ki chaal nahi chalta. I sing when my heart desires.”

We took the video to Anubhav Sinha and Farha Khan to crack an idea to see how a video could be worked upon with only Daler Mehndi. The company was against shooting a video with just one face. But I was hell bent and really knew what I was talking about.

And after the release of the song, not only did it go viral world over, but also won technical awards in the country. It won the RAPA award and so much more even to two to three years back. The kind of adulation Tunak Tunak has received and is receiving to this day is unfathomable. Internationally from Marshmello, Slushii, DeadMau5, to the current K-Pop sensations, BTS , Tunak Tunak continues to enthrall and engage listeners. It went viral because I believed in myself and my music. The entire song is written by me and it took us a month to crack it. It took me 20 days to complete the track in the studio. The whole album in itself is brilliant. The song is an eternal song.

You have your own record company; how did you start it?

Having my own record label was a natural progression, which started in 2003. . I opened a record label because I wanted to release Gurbani tracks. We have had very good and veteran artists on our roster, like Hussain Baksh Sahab, Imtiaz Ali, Riaz Ali,Bhure Khan Sahab, Principal Baldev Singh, My late father Ajmer Singh Ji, Mika Singh to name a few. . D Records is India’s one of the very few music labels to be run by a woman, my wife Taran Mehndi.

“Politics is in every field, whether it is music, dance, drama, painting, regular office going people, food, media…. it’s everywhere.”

So which music directors have you bonded with?

When I hear a song, I bond with the song, the lyrics, and the composition first and then comes the music director. Every song done by me, be it for AR Rahman, Anu Malik, Vishal Shekhar, MM Kreem, Thaman, Sachin Jigar, Mannan, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, I have bonded with each one of them. This is because unless you bond with someone’s creation, you will not be able to do justice to that. Moreover, you will not be able to add your colour to it. You have to bond with it, you have to bond with the song.

Any challenges you’ve faced as a singer?

I was born to be a singer and my life is music. No challenges, no regrets, just complete faith, trust and lots of joy.

What do you think of the songs of today?

Songs that promote filth and pathetic language have nothing to do with music. Par jab kaam sureela and rhythm sar char ke bole aur bol bhi roohdar hon then , no matter what language no matter who’s singing, it is divine.

Why have we seen so little of you in the past few years? Is it a conscious decision to be low profiled?

I have done Chhalang 2020, Jagga Jiteya 2019, Soorma 2018 , Gold 2018, Bahubali 2 (all three languages Tamil, Telugu, Hindi) 2017,Dangal 2016, Happy Bhaag Jayegi 2016, Mirzya 2016, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag 2013 and many more films. So, I have not gone anywhere and I have been busy singing songs, singing Gurbani and Sufi. See how TunakTunak is dancing away to glory even today, so how can I be low profile?

Main Khargosh ki chaal nahi chalta. I sing when my heart desires. I sing Bollywood songs when the world needs some positivity. I am always there to motivate people.

What are your thoughts on politics in music?

Politics is in every field, whether it is music, dance, drama, painting, regular office going people, food, media…. it’s everywhere. And, it is not a great thing, but it’s there. It is for the people to decide where they want to focus. My focus has always been on my creativity and when I am not creating music, I am planting trees, or taking care of our indigenous breeds Aravali goats, Thar Parkar and Sahiwal cows. Achha Khana, Achha Gana, aur apni dharohar bachana bus ye karte busy rehta hu.

What’s next in terms of future projects?

There are about nine film songs - some title, some item numbers waiting to be released. Other than that, I have just released my first Rajasthani folk song AAO ji, composed in three ragas, which is a gift to Mame Khan’s daughter on her wedding. It is being showered immense love by the audiences. I am soon to release my first Ghazal album sung with legendary Riaz Ali Khan and Shahazad Khan. The ghazal is a gift to all my fans and to myself. Besides, a lot more Gurbaniis to be released.

“I have just released my first Rajasthani folk song AAO ji, composed in three ragas, which is a gift to Mame Khan’s daughter on her wedding.”