Shaan: I don’t really need this kind of sympathy, I am not out of work

Singer Shaan says he does not want sympathy from fans for not being able to sing in Bollywood any more.

Singer-songwriter Shaan has lent his voice to many a hit songs in Bollywood, Suno Na (from Jhankaar Beats; 2003), Chand Sifarish (Fanaa; 2006), and Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh (3 Idiots; 2009), to name a few. So, he was flooded with support on social media, when he recently wrote that he gets less work in films now.

Shaan released his independent single Surilee recently.

Shaan, 45, is embracing the reality with a smile. “There’s nothing like I’m feeling bad... You can’t say ‘Look I’ve sung so many songs, so I am here forever.’ No one can say that. There are no rules in the industry, and you can’t hold any grudges against anyone. I am really lucky that I have been able to sing in Bollywood for a long time,” he says.

He also doesn’t want anyone to have sympathy for him. “I’m not out of work. If there’s no film music, I have other avenues. I do live shows. I travel. I focus my energies elsewhere if I am not getting any film music,” says Shaan, who recently released his independent single, Surilee.

The singer feels that an artist needs to evolve with time to survive in the industry, and he’s proud to have done that. “If a singer doesn’t upgrade himself/herself, then you will start sounding outdated. I survived for 20 years in the industry because I sang songs differently, even if they were of the same genre. Until and unless, you try to sing songs differently, you will not survive in the industry. When you sing differently, you make your own sound, and you get to make your own footing,” says Shaan.

Talking about how he got back into the non-film space, the singer had told us earlier that his wife, Radhika Mukherjee, is her pillar of strength and helped him get over his fear of rejection. “It has stayed with me all through my life, and that’s why I haven’t been pro-active when it comes to releasing music independently... My wife encouraged me, and told me to do it for myself, to enjoy what I’m doing. She told me she’ll take care of me,” he had said.

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