‘इंडस्ट्री का सच है कास्टिंग काउच’: सिंगर विपिन बोले मेरी बेटी को भी सहना पड़ा; हनी सिंह के साथ कोलैब अद्भुत,गजल हिप-हॉप के साथ सुना जाएगा

Yo Yo Honey Singh’s recently released song ‘Never Cried’ is much talked about among music lovers. The biggest feature of this song is that it has a beautiful combination of ghazal with hip-hop beats. We had a special conversation with the famous singer who lent his voice to the ghazal part in this song. During the conversation, he told how this collaboration happened, how he lived his 25 year musical journey, what is his opinion on the realities of the music industry and what new projects are coming his way.

You have collaborated with Honey Singh in Never Cried, in which people are liking the ghazal part sung by you very much. How did this collaboration happen?

First of all, I would like to tell that this ghazal has been written by Tanveer Ghazi, who also wrote the famous monologue of Amitabh Bachchan in the film Pink. He wrote this ghazal so beautifully that when I read it for the first time, I immediately felt that it should be sung. I gave it my voice, and the same ghazal is being heard today in Never Cried.

If I talk about my collab with Honey Singh, it should have happened long ago, but it became possible only now. I am from Delhi and when I shot my song Teri Payal, Honey Singh entered the industry. I met him while preparing for my second album. Honey took me to his Okhla studio, where he played all his songs one by one. Both of us had decided to work together further, but at that time Honey was signed with another label, so this collab could not happen.

‘Honey Singh has an amazing spirit, and he dreams of taking our India to the international stage.’

Then in 2015-16, when I sang the song ‘Jaane Tere Shehar’ for the film Jazbaa, Honey Singh heard that song and called me. He said that he liked that song very much and we both should do something creative together. After that in 2025, when I sang the ghazal ‘Kuch Is Paar’ for Ram Kapoor in the OTT series Mystery, I sang that song to Honey. Honey said that he wanted to include this song in his album 51 Glorious Days. But I told them that this is not my song, it is someone else’s property. After this Tanveer Ghazi wrote a new ghazal, and today you are listening to the same ghazal in Never Cried. It would not be wrong to say that this song has presented a unique confluence of ghazal and rap in the music industry.

After hearing about fitting the ghazal in Honey Singh’s song, did you not find this idea strange or risky?

Yes, of course! Initially I also found this idea a bit strange. I was afraid that the soul of the ghazal might get lost in the beats. For this reason, we had many deep discussions about sound designing. Both of us worked hard on the structure of the song while maintaining its feel. But the way Ghazal has been combined with rap along with intense lyrics in this song, it makes it completely different from other songs. Everyone is able to feel the emotions of this song. When the song was released, I went to YouTube and read the reviews and comments. It was heartening to see that everyone, whether youngsters or people of my age, enjoyed it.

‘There is cinematic magic in my voice, and I want to get a chance to showcase my art in films and songs.’

Honey Singh has once again created a stir in the entire industry by making a spectacular comeback. What would you say about this?

When I met Honey Singh for the first time, I saw a fire in him, that passion, that hunger, which I had not seen in anyone after me. I also prayed for him in his difficult times. Honey Singh is a man who has the vision to take India to the international stage. Even the megastar of the century Amitabh Bachchan had seen bad times, but he returned again and created history. Honey Singh is also one such artist, even in his low phase he used to tell me, ‘I want to do a collab with you.’ Not everyone has this much dedication and enthusiasm. Think for yourself, has anyone till date released 51 songs simultaneously? Honey Singh is not going to stop now. He’s a really amazing actor, and I’m proud to have worked with him.

You have completed 25 years in the world of music, how do you look at this long journey and how memorable was this journey for you?

I would say that this is not just the story of 25 years, but the entire 50 years of my life. I had a deep love for music since childhood. I was a small child who used to sit near my sister and listen to harmonium tunes and then get lost in it for hours. My relationship with music started from there. I took part in many competitions in school, which gave me confidence. I always believe that music chose me. This journey has never been easy. Fell many times, got up many times, but did not give up. In my initial phase, I got the opportunity to work with stalwarts like Shantanu Moitra and Pradeep Sarkar. When my first album came out, it created a lot of buzz. There were about 20 dancers behind me in that song and there were discussions everywhere. I sang in every genre whether Sufi, pop or romantic. Whenever I performed, the audience danced. But the more I delved into music, the more I realized that there is still a lot to learn.

‘By eliminating problems like casting couch in the industry, a safe space should be created for women artists’

You have done great work in your career, given great songs, but do you think that you got the recognition and place in the music industry that you truly deserved?

To tell you the truth, no. I don’t think I got as much opportunity in films as I should have. My talent was not explored as much as it should have been. There is a lot of group competition in the industry, and outsiders do not get opportunities so easily. Even when I was recording the song Jaane Tere Shehar, there was talk of removing my voice. But music director Arco stood firm for me and stopped this from happening. This has also happened with many veterans in the industry like Sonu Nigam and Richa Sharma, where their voice was replaced by another singer. The music industry does not adopt anything new so easily. My voice is cinematic, and all I would say is that if anyone has the courage, give me a chance.

Allegations like MeToo have been continuously coming to the fore in the music industry. Recently, singer Sachin Sanghvi has been accused of sexual harassment. What would you say on this?

Being the father of a daughter, and being a part of this industry for 25 years, I would say with all honesty that yes, such things happen in the industry. I myself have seen many such cases where people were lured into the trap of work. Some cases made media headlines, but were later suppressed. As far as Sachin Sanghvi is concerned, his case is in the court, and if he is wrong then he should definitely be punished. Many female artists have to face things like casting couch in the music industry. I have seen many popular singers facing all this, but he faced it on his own. Now the time has come that there should be a strict ban on all this.

‘Sonu Nigam and I used to hum while sitting under the tree in school, he lives in my heart’

You have had a deep friendship with a veteran singer like Sonu Nigam, so tell me, where and how did this beautiful relationship and friendship begin?

When I was in class 11, Sonu Nigam took admission in class 9 in our school. One day a voice was heard from the assembly ground, as if God himself was singing. I ran there and saw Sonu singing ‘Aisi Laagi Lagan’ on harmonium. I was mesmerized. Our friendship started from that day. We used to sit under a tree near the school canteen and keep humming. He used to come to my house also, many gatherings were organised, videos of which I still have with me. Then I went to America and when I returned, Sonu was on his way to becoming a star. When I sang the song ‘Jaane Tere Shehar’, Sonu told me on the phone, ‘Now you have become public property.’ Sonu is like a brother to me, and he will always be in my heart.

During your long musical journey, who became your biggest support or help in those difficult moments when circumstances were difficult and time was against you?

I would say that my biggest support has been myself. I never asked anyone for help. Learned from his struggles, got up when he fell. I always believed that I would do it, and perhaps this confidence has brought me here today.