After an exclusive shoot with us, singer Rahul Vaidya sits down to reflect on his journey as a solo artist and the role music has played in his life as he celebrates World Music Day with HT City. “Not just for me but music is important for the whole world. If you are happy, you listen to music, if you are sad, then too music plays, when someone is born, music plays, if someone dies, then too music plays, it is a constant for every mood,” he says, emphasising the universal nature of music, adding that even his nine-month-old daughter Navya enjoys music. “I have a baby at home now, we play music for her all the time. Without music this world would have become much emptier and empty much sooner.
Vaidya, who has singles like Madhanya and Prem Kahani to his credit, tells us that his journey has been “unconventional” in many ways. Talking about his rooted, middle-class upbringing devoid of familial ties to the industry, Vaidya says he was “blessed with music”. Recalling memories of humming tunes as a child, the singer shares, “I was a little kid when I started humming a song from Chitrahaar and mom noticed, but nobody took it seriously at that time.” But, when the 9-year-old Vaidya moved to Mumbai with his family, a local teacher noticed his talent and advised him to get formal training. “I used to sing jingles for ads and brands as a child artiste,” the 36-year-old Vaidya tells us.
However, his big moment came unexpectedly during his college days when fate favoured him with Indian Idol. “Suddenly on my birthday in 2004, a truck passed by me with Indian Idol written on it, and nobody knew about it at that time,” he recalls candidly. With the encouragement of friends, he mustered up the courage and auditioned, unaware of the significance of the show. “Sonu ji, Anu Malik sir and Farah ma’am were sitting there as judges, then I felt it was something big. I sang and everyone was very happy,” he says, explaining how the opportunity changed his life within a few months.
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From that stormy start, Rahul found himself in the limelight. “In those six months from October to March, my life changed completely. I became a popular name and before I knew it, I started getting invited to shows and started working with full force,” he said.
He said, “My first show was in Delhi, so this place is very special to me. It was a big deal for me to stay in a five-star hotel and eat whatever I wanted. It’s been 20 years now and I haven’t realized how my life has gone till now. When you are doing something you love, you don’t even realize how the years have passed. I am enjoying what I am doing and doing something you love as a profession is a blessing.”
Despite his initial fame through reality television, Rahul did not take the Bollywood route. However, he made a place for himself as an independent artist. Talking about it, Vaidya tells us, “It is not that the route was not taken, it seems convenient, the route was not found. Music directors and the Bollywood fraternity work differently and there are a lot of insecurities. People want to give you a chance only if you are very poor or there is pressure from the producer to do a favour and they say ‘Yahi gaana gaayega’. Unfortunately, I could not take that thing,” he says candidly. He adds, “But, I believe that everyone’s path cannot be the same. Not everyone becomes popular by singing songs in films. It was written in my life that I should do my singles, TV appearances, my shows and I should be known for doing some beautiful songs.”
Vaidya reveals that he has drawn inspiration from legends like Sonu Nigam and Mohammed Rafi and shaped his own distinctive style and musical path. “I have learnt a lot from Sonu Nigam ji. When I was a teenager, he was in his prime time, he is still considered one of the biggest superstars. I was inspired by him. I learnt a lot of songs by listening to Rafi sahab, Kishore da, everybody,” he gratefully admits. “I strongly believe in destiny and I think God has written this for me. I am running a different race of my own,” he says confidently.
Looking ahead, Rahul encourages aspiring singers to stay true to their artistic vision. “For any budding singer, all I want to say is ‘follow your dreams, you will be loved for your style’. You can be inspired but make your own music,” he concludes.
