Ace music director Daboo Malik is all set to perform tonight, February 21, in Mumbai. Titled ‘The Unforgettables’, the musical show, which will be held at Sivaswamy Auditorium at The Fine Arts Society will see Daboo performing on the songs of R D Burman and Kishore Kumar. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Daboo spoke about ‘The Unforgettables’ and a lot more.
EXCLUSIVE: Daboo Malik talks about his musical show ‘The Unforgettables’; speaks highly of Salman Khan’s family: “They helped me when I was broken and lost; there’s a HUGE contribution of Khan family to our existence”
Firstly, congratulations on the wedding of Armaan Malik. How was the experience?
It was the first wedding of our family. Ideally, it should have been the elder son (Amaal Mallik) but the younger one got married first. As it happens in weddings, tension wagera bahut tha. We had also kept everything under wraps. In these times of social media, we did a splendid job. No one came to know about it until we announced it ourselves about the wedding. We also had a few parties later on for friends and family.
Why was the wedding held secretively?
That’s how the kids wanted it. As elders, we would like to have dhoom dhadaka! However, both (Armaan Malik and his wife Aashna Shroff) are very digital and social media savvy; they strongly believed in bringing the news out at the right time.
How was your first birthday (on January 21) after becoming a father-in-law?
This time, I got too many gifts (smiles). We had a lot of family get-togethers. It was fun. The tag of a father-in-law made me realize that I am now a senior citizen! Just when I thought I was turning 22, they made me realize that I was turning 62 (laughs).
Tell us about ‘The Unforgettables’…
This will be our fifth show. Initially, I did a tribute to Rajesh Khanna; the focus was on his persona and his movies. In another show, I paid a tribute to Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh ji. Then, there was a show, which was dedicated to the poets. In between, I also did one or two commercial shows. In one of the shows, I also did a piece which was dedicated to my father (Sardar Malik). The upcoming show in Mumbai is dedicated to R D Burman and Kishore da as I have been a great fan of them.
How did you give the idea for ‘The Unforgettables’?
For the longest period of time, I never focused on stage performances. But with the last 10 years of experience mentoring my boys, I realized deep down that I did not get my due or did what I wanted to. Hence, the idea was to fulfil this dream of being on stage. I am not the kind of a performer, who is accompanied by ten singers. I was afraid to face the audience, that too, all alone without any singers accompanying me. The market is also full of talented people. Then how do you hold the interest of the people?
Thankfully, when the first half of my show gets over, I am informed by the agency that not a single person leaves the show mid-way. They all stay back until the very end. It’s the strongest appreciation that you can get. Also, the instant reaction you get from the audience gives the performer a high.
It must be heartening to see youngsters coming for your show. Most of them must be born after these greats passed away…
Yes. I have a strong connection with the youngsters, thanks to Armaan and Amaal (smiles). Now, I have become a Universal papa, since I am addressed as Amaal and Armaan’s papa! The youngsters want to meet and interact with me, possibly due to the spillover of their success. They tell me, ‘The song you sang today, we had never heard before. It’s such a good, simple song’. They are touched by the simple lyrics of these old songs compared to tracks of today, which have tougher lyrics. On the other hand, the 50+ crowd are huge fans of retro music and they also come in large numbers.
It is often said that the quality of music has gone down in today’s times. What are your thoughts?
I don’t think the music has gone down. I feel that it has improved with the times. I appreciate all the music done by the younger and the previous generation, that is, Vishal-Shekhar, Pritam, Salim-Sulaiman, A R Rahman, Mithoon, Amaal Mallik, Sachin-Jigar, Vishal Mishra, etc. They are doing a splendid job. What happens is that there’s an element of nostalgia, which is connected to the old music. The tune has travelled decades and across generations in such a way that it has become a part of our DNA. Also, the magic created by Rafi saab, Lata ji, etc, can’t be recreated. What also went in their favour is they were one of the first people to arise on the music scene. It was a virgin state of music. We simply followed the plans set by them and then tried to carry forward their legacy, though our music can nowhere come close to their works.
You have worked in several films of Salman Khan as well as Sohail Khan like Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge (2002), Maine Dil Tujhko Diya (2002), Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (2002), I Proud To Be An Indian (2004), Kisaan (2009), etc. How is your bond with them?
It was a sensitive stage in my life. Nothing was happening, I felt broken and lost. This is when I walked into the Khan family household. They asked me how I had been and tried to get to know me better. From that small chat with Salim uncle, I was introduced to Sohail and Salman Khan. They accepted a totally lost personality. That’s because they don’t underestimate or shoo away anybody. They allow you to belt out the numbers and even guide you. A lot of lives have changed because of them, be it Sajid-Wajid, Himesh Reshammiya, myself or for that matter Amaal, Armaan, Vishal Mishra, etc. They do not look for star value when people ask them for work. If there’s talent and sincerity and the person is ready to do hard work, that’s what matters to them. I believe the Khan family has the power to use their might to help unsupported people. It’s been a great journey with them. They have been a real backbone and support to my family. There’s a huge contribution of the Khan family to our existence.
I should also take this opportunity to give full respect to Bhushan Kumar from T-Series. What matters to him is good songs and he’s also a strong person from the music fraternity. Yet, he encourages new talent while also working with the bigwigs.
Is it true that Salman Khan provides inputs to the songs?
He has a tremendous sense of music and he understands which song has the potential to be hit. He doesn’t take much time to decide. If he likes a song, he immediately asks us to lock it. Or else, he’d straight away make it clear that it didn’t work for him.
The song from Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, ‘Thoda Sa Pyaar Hua Hai Thoda Hai Baaki’, is quite loved. The lyrics are often mouthed for those who are gradually falling in love with each other…
It became an identity for that movie. It also became a torchbearer song of that era. It was a phase when Nadeem-Shravan’s music was not happening in a big way. I came on the scene and I gave some 40-50 songs to T-Series. These songs came to be used in Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge, Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, I Proud To Be An Indian, etc. Somehow, the music made a mark even though the films were not blockbuster hits. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, however, scraped through.
How has been the bond with your brother Anu Malik?
As kids, we bonded very well but as time passed, he saw incredible success. Somewhere down the line, the love stayed but the disparity between us was huge. His success was exponential and he became very big while I did not reach anywhere for the longest period of time. That’s where the communication ended. It was never like he recommended me to anyone and said, ‘Please make him big’. Of course, I have no grudges about it. All I remember was our childhood days – how we spent our time playing at the beaches and in our backyard, how we made music, etc. I even assisted him in the earlier days. Those moments were beautiful.
I also admire him for the kind of grit and determination he showed and ensured that our family name came up. He was a genius, is a genius and we owe it to him for making the Malik brand so popular.
Did you ever plan to judge any music reality show, like Anu Malik?
It’s strange that nobody came to know that I was a pioneer in a way in this field. I had gone to television companies long back with a concept similar to music reality shows. I never knew about Indian Idol or American Idol. Nevertheless, I got an opportunity to do a show like Harmony on Sony TV. It was my concept and production and I even music-directed the show. This stint didn’t make me come to the forefront. What happened with Indian Idol was that the judges were very powerful faces. This was a time when TV was ruled by Kaun Banega Crorepati, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Indian Idol. It led to a major change in the TV industry.
What next?
I am very active in promoting younger talent. MWM Entertainment is my small community; I shouldn’t say it’s a label. Talented people can come forward and I can process it and put it out for the audience. Besides, I also sing my own songs and do shows.
Would you like to act again?
Yes. It’s high time that after 35 years and seeing so many people zip through stardom, maybe it’s my time to do some daddy roles (laughs).
Have Armaan Malik and Amaal Malik ever performed with you? And can we see all three of you do a show?
In one of the shows, they did come. But I do want to do a legacy concert where we all three would share the stage. We would like a 30-40 band of musicians. The idea is to pay tribute to the entire Malik legacy.
Anything else in the pipeline?
I am writing a book called ‘Never Too Late’. It talks about doing things at whatever stage of your life you are and fulfilling your dreams.
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