The Voice of Love | Feature

ANUP PRAKASH

Singer Mohit Chauhan's voice reminds me of cold days in the hills where clouds roll lazily by and the wind is nippy. I recall the sweet smell of freshly brewed tea and idle days in my old college. But most of all his voice makes me want to fall in love, for each note he hits seems to be laden with romance. The longing in his voice makes it almost melancholic, there is passion in each word. So when I found out that he would be in Kathmandu to perform, my joy knew no bounds.

Mohit, as part of the band Silk Route, shot to fame on a yellow Volkswagen, half immersed in a lake and singing Dooba Dooba in the late 90s. Now, looking back, he thinks that maybe it was a good idea to drop his 1st semester MSc Geology exam for the song.

"Music was a huge part of my life, I find solace in music," he reveals, "And not being a very social person, I enjoyed my solitude with music. But it was never a career plan."

He wanted to be a geologist or join the army until his friend's brother suggested that he become a musician instead of working as a copy editor at an advertising agency owned by the brother. "His suggestion changed my life because had he given me the job, I'd have gone to work the next day and never taken up music," he says.

From then onwards, little Mohit, who was always singing in every childhood picture, became Mohit Chauhan, the voice behind Boodien and the current favorite Tum Se Hi. Fame fed his creativity and his folk music sensibilities created a distinct niche for him in the Indian music industry. After which came another successful album with Silk Route, soft jingles (Parachute coconut hair oil's Gorgeous Hamsa) and then Bollywood happened.

For a self taught guitarist and singer who had never seen a studio in his life before Boodien, Mohit has come a long way. He isn't complaining about it but singing behind the screen wasn't a dream like acting in front of the camera was. "I had done a lot of theater in college and wanted to study acting at the Film and Televison Institute of India, Pune," he discloses, "But their acting course had been discontinued since the 70s and they suggested I study film direction. I wasn't interested so I declined the offer."

Destined to seranade us with his voice, Mohit is very happy about where he is. All set to record for his next album in the coming month, Mohit says, " I already have 9 to10 songs ready, its just a matter of choosing and working on them for the next album, which will have a lot of groovy beats." And the best part is that he is thinking about shooting the video here in Nepal. "Nepal is very similar to the place I come from. I feel that the mountains everywhere have the same vibe and philosophy. And I also love the experience here," he explains.

With all said and done, I still have one more question in my mind, and ignoring all the manners my mama taught me I ask, "Who do you think of when you sing your love ballads?"
He smiles and says, "No one. I am in love with the idea of being in love and I guess that comes through in my songs." Aaah….we don't really buy that now, do we?