Nothing works beyond Bollywood, says 'Aaj Phir Tum Pe' singer Arko
You might have heard and loved his songs, Aaj Phir Tum Pe (Hate Story 2) and Mehrbaani (The Shaukeens) this year, but very little is known about singer and music composer Arko Pravo Mukherjee , the man behind these latest romantic hits. We tell you about his journey.
You might have heard and loved his songs, Aaj Phir Tum Pe (Hate Story 2) and Mehrbaani (The Shaukeens) this year, but very little is known about singer and music composer Arko Pravo Mukherjee , the man behind these latest romantic hits.
A qualified, MBBS degree holder, Arko, 29, hails from Kolkata. Talking about his journey so far, Arko says, "After finishing my degree, I had gone to Mumbai for a holiday in April 2008."
But little did he know that fate had other plans for him. "Priyanshu Chatterjee (actor) is a friend, and when I was in Mumbai for my holidays, I used to hang out with him. Through him, I got to know about Bollywood and how it works. In August 2008, I packed my bags to make my career in music," he says.
So how did composing for Jism 2 (2012) happen?
"In 2011, my friend Prashant Narayanan (actor) made me meet Mahesh Bhatt (filmmaker), and after our interaction where he heard some of my songs, he thought my numbers would fit his daughter Pooja Bhatt's film.
That's how I got Jism 2", says Arko, adding that his approach towards work has totally changed ever since. "There is no point going after film producers or directors, as these days, directors come to the music labels for songs. So, I directly go to the music company instead of approaching producers and directors with my song bank," he says.
Since the music composer started his journey with a band called Mira in Mumbai, we ask him that now with considerable amount of fame, does independent music interest him anymore?
"In India, nothing works beyond Bollywood. The independent music scene is terrible. In the West, independent music is huge because they have a proper process, and more than 100 people are involved in a single. Here, with just one channel that is promoting amateur talent and no music label backing them, it is bad," says Arko.
But he is happy that the Hindi film industry has accepted him. "I am really passionate about music and I take my own sweet time to write and compose my songs. Despite Hindi not being my mother tongue, I write songs in the language, and I am glad that Bollywood is accepting them," he says.
