With the fast changing dynamics of Indian Music Industry, how hard or easy does it feel to work on that pace?
Things have really changed in the Bollywood industry. In the recent times, social media and digital platforms have taken over in a big way and in this digitally fast era, definitely one has to work at a certain pace and maintain it. Now a days the memory span of the listeners and audience is very short.
Also there are a lot of singers in the industry and various new voices keep coming up. In order to maintain one’s identity and uniqueness therefore becomes very important. For me, this journey has spanned more than 13 years now.
Having started my career in 2006, I am happy that everything I am doing is clicking with my audiences and striking the right chord with the listeners even today. I think my USP is that I am blessed with a very unique tone and definitely I have worked on my vocals especially in the last few songs where I am trying to do different genres.
I am very thankful to my audience and my listeners who accepted me in various genres. Of course I did a lot of romantic number initially but for the last few years I have done many fast and peppy, loungey numbers in a husky tone. Being versatile and giving a different side to my listeners has also been one of my important USP. Of course, there is a huge contribution of the music composers who have believed in me and nonetheless my supporters and fans who have always encouraged me to do something new with every song. The kind of love they gave me encouraged me to work harder and give my super best to every song.
You are such a gifted singing sensation in Bollywood. What inspires and motivates you?
Well thank you, it feels so good to hear that I am a gifted singing sensation of Bollywood but I would like to say that even if you are gifted with a good tone, you have to constantly work on yourself to maintain that uniqueness.
As I said earlier – there are a lot of voices in the industry so standing out from the rest and maintaining that uniqueness for composers to come up and say that they would want Tulsi Kumar to render a particular song takes something exclusive. To achieve this, practicing is very important and analytical hearing of different genres of music is also very important. Since my childhood, I have always been highly bent towards music and have always emphasized a lot of learning music. Two very important people who have always motivated and inspired me are my parents, my mother and my father – Shri Gulshan Kumar Ji and Sudesh Kumari.
I used to hum songs in my childhood as a 6 year old but obviously at that age had no idea that want to pursue a career in music. It was my father who spotted this and realized that Tusli has a good voice and asked me if I wanted to learn music. I readily agreed and then started taking light classical music coaching from Suresh Wadkar Ji’s academy. My father has always inspired me to work very hard. I started that young and then through the journey with lots of ups and downs. My father leaving us when I was 12 was very hard to come to terms with but then my mom took over in a very big way. She still inspires and constantly motivates me.
No matter how huge a success my song is, my mom always pin points flaws in me and I think that’s what has kept me in the game for so long. I constantly believe in bettering myself as an artiste. My mom is my biggest critic and so there is no scope for an outsider to replace her in that role. My mom and dad are two biggest inspirations in my life who have always helped me keep my feet grounded.
Your recent songs have done wonders in the industry. What would be your suggestions for budding singers in the industry?
Touchwood! In the last few year, I have had some really great numbers to my credit right from Soch Na Sake to Paniyon Sa, the cult music song like Tum jo aaye zindagi mein baat ban gayi, Hum mar jaayenge from Aashiqui 2 but this year has been exceptionally good. Thanks to the music composers for the faith they have shown in me. Starting from Tu Laung Main Elaichi (Punjabi Track), The Kabir Singh song Tera Ban Jaunga had a great impact on the audience to the extent that I had random people walking up to me at Film parties, malls and public places saying that they were in absolute love with that song.
Of course then there were songs like O Saki Saki and Shehar ki ladki where people heard me singing in a very brunch tone. Then the very futuristic POP song in Saahoo Enni Soni which was a duet with Guru Randhawa was very appreciated too. There was Haiya Ho from Marjaavaan which was again a very different kind of track in a very groovy and husky tone. Then the year ended with Akhiyon Se Goli Mare and independent track Nahin Jaana which was a solo. So, yes the year went pretty good. I hear these songs playing everywhere and feel extremely happy about it.
To the budding singers I would say – whatever you do, give it your 200 percent, do it with your full heart and go through a training process before you enter in to singing. Being a one song wonder is something very easy but staying in the game for long, starting from one genre and graduating into different zones over a period is what establishes you as a complete singer. If you want to go a long way, formal training and learning will be of great importance and it will give you acceptance in the industry in a sustained way.
What all is in the pipeline from Tulsi Kumar in the year 2020 ?
In the year 2020, I am doing playback for Street Dancer 3D. Apart of from that there are a lot of other movie playbacks lined up. Most importantly, I will be focusing on a lot of independent music this year. You will see and hear me in my upcoming singles that I am working on, few collaborations and in some music videos. So this year is very important. Independent music is something which gives me a lot of satisfaction and creative freedom as an artiste and so I will be creating lot of independent music this year. I am looking forward to that and of course film projects will continue the way they have.
What is your Take on Indo-Western music Trends?
I think everything has turned very indo western these days but like they say – each to their own. I absolutely love Indian and traditional music as well but to suit the taste of audience, lot of Indo- Western flavor has come up of late in every sphere of our lives. Even if you see clothing or fashion trends, you see a lot of Indo-Western that is coming to the market. The youngsters really connect well with that. For example, if you pick up a classic song and change its beat and tweak the lyrics a bit with different attitude of singing, you find the youth quickly connecting with it. I think that this trend is here to stay. It’s not that we don’t love our own music – There are many songs which are purely Indian, very melodious and exceptionally well crafted but yes to suit the taste of the audience and the market, everything that appeals the tastes has to be catered for and I totally stand by this.
With changing trends in Indian Music Industry do you think we are losing out on the Our Indian Classical Music?
As I mentioned before, if you pick up different people from the street and put them all in one room, everyone will be found to be having a different taste. I don’t think we are losing out of Indian Classical Music as there does exist an audience for that kind of music too. There is an audience for recreational music. There is an audience for love and romantic numbers Gazals, devotional music and so on. It is a fact that a major chunk of music is being dominated and sourced by Bollywood industry but still people who love classical do listen classical music. In India, we have takers for music of all rung and genres.
Given a chance, what is it that you might want to change in the Indian Music Industry and how?
When it comes to changing things in the industry, a lot of it has changed over the years for better. However that fact remains that the music industry is still very male dominated. There are more male oriented songs. When it comes to judicious division of parts between males and females even in a duet, it’s not 50-50. The females are still given lesser parts. However, now things are changing for good with lot of female oriented movie scripts and even lyrics. We are now witnessing a surge in opportunities for female artistes to come up in films as well as in the independent zone. I think women have come up in a big way and also there is an increased acceptance for everything related to them. Another point is regarding production and promotion of original music. This seems to be the times of recreation of existing music as there is lot of market and acceptance for it and I am not against it but it would be better if originals of the kind which can be recreated in future are also made. There should be more originals which rule our music charts. In the longer run, more originals will be a better and more preferred thing for our industry as a whole.
Your message to our Readers?
My message to the lovely readers of AspiringShe – as the name of this magazine itself suggests that women can do anything and everything and there is nothing stopping her from aspiring to become a better and more successful version of herself. As women, we grow a lot of unwanted barriers in our mind. For example, if we are married we cannot do certain things, if we have a child, we again cannot concentrate on our career and the list in unending.
But if I give my own example, I have been married for 4 years now and have a baby too who is 2. As far as I am concerned, my career has advanced more rapidly after my marriage and even more rapidly since I became a mother. So there are no such formulas or stereotypes, especially negative ones which we as women should nurture in our minds. At the same time, it would not be right to say that everything happens on its own or comes easy. There is a lot of effort, hard work and dedication required, priorities need to be set, multitasking needs to be done but once we women have our eyes set on something and decide to get something, and are passionate about it, then nothing can stop us.
To all the women and men reading this interview I would like to reassure you that you have it in you.
If you give your 200 percent in everything you do, be passionate about what you do and don’t believe in giving yourself excuses, you can achieve anything. Excuses tend to bog us down, instead we must fancy and build ourselves into hardworking go getters.
What are your suggestions to the budding singers who are wanting to get a break in Bollywood?
I think I am the right person to answer this as my father Shri Gulshan Kumar Ji was a support to a lot of newer talents. When the industry was being run by a handful of people, my father introduced new voices in the industry. He had the daring to introduce new artistes like Sonu Nigam, Anuradha Paudwal, Kumar Sanu and many others. He was the one who brought them in the front when the industry was being ruled merely by 3 or 4 singers.
I think as an individual, I am trying to take my father’s dream forward. To this effect, I have even started an academy which trains upcoming budding singers, artists, also in subjects like film direction, music production.
This is working under the name T-series Stageworks Academy and Gulshan Kumar Film & Television Institute of India. This is my way of giving back to the industry. I strongly suggest that everyone who comes to Mumbai with an aim to become a part of music or film industry must first train themselves and prepare properly before an audition or a reality show. There is no rule on how to get a break or do well in Bollywood but yes if someone works hard, with passion and has leant his craft well then nothing can keep him behind.
Even for me, 13 years have not been easy despite people having an impression of me being the owner of one of the biggest label like T series. I still feel I had to work hard, constantly be a student, innovate myself and experiment with myself besides taking care of my voice to be able to come and be counted amongst the leading singers of today’s times.
Your Inspirational One Liner Quote For all your fans?
An inspirational line as I speak which come to my mind – Duniya Hila Denge Hum – with love and passion for your work, you can achieve great heights and literally shake up the world.
What is your idea of the singing Contests running in India and on judging them?
I would be very happy to be on the judging panel of any of the singing competition running in India. The newer talent getting recognized through these show or through reality shows gets opportunities to showcase themselves. Only I feel that a certain amount of drama which accompanies it could be done away with and more focus must be on various singing aspects.
As a child I remember going on the sets of Saregama, when Sonu Nigam Ji was the host. My father had gone there as a guest. I remember it was a contest purely based on music – picking up the Taal, picking up the Sur, picking up a song when a scale is played and a lot more aspects of playback singing. There are a lot of these things which are missing in today’s reality shows and contests. So when I become a part of a reality show or a contest, I would like to revive all those things and then probably be on the judging panel.
Your Favorites:
Singers – Sonu Nigam, Arijit Singh, Kavita Krishnamurthy
Artists – Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Adelle
Music Composer – Madan Mohan Ji from yesteryears. Mithoon & AR Rehman from the contemporary
Movie – DDLJ as our generation grew up with that.
Bollywood Couple – Shah Rukh Khan & Kajol
Singing Sensation as per you – Sunidhi Chauhan
Travel Destination – London, Greence, Mykonos
Food – Anything Oriental, especially Vegetarian Sushi
Album of the Year –Kabir Singh Soundtrack
Track of the year – O Saki Saki
