MUMBAI: The Indian no alcoholic party anthem creator ‘Shraey Khanna’ best known for his dance moves – choreographer of ‘ABCD 2’ opening act– entered the music industry in 2015 with T-Series ‘Nakhra Wakhra’. This endless admirer of Michael Jackson turned towards music after getting some inspirational push from rapper Honey Singh.
Shraey, a former ‘MJ 5’ dance group member parted from the group to give wings to his musical passion. His rendezvous with Honey Singh began four years ago when he was assigned the job to choreograph his live shows. “Meeting him ignited my passion for music. His struggle stories kept the passion in me burning. On one occasion Honey told me that, ‘Jo hoga abhi hoga, uske baad kuch ho nahi payega’. This was soon after I won ‘India’s Dancing Superstar’. He made it clear that I had to make the best of the time in hand,” said Shraey.
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Shraey is not a trained singer neither does he have a musical family background. His initial musical training began with him watching YouTube, but he later went on to fine-tune his musical skills with some help from friends and musical teachers. All the musical teachings got the young talent a safe landing in the music industry with his debut single ‘Nakhra Wakhra’. One expected the singer to have an upward climb post that, but he decided on taking a break to learn newer aspects of music and composition. The singer went on to join youth based apps that also included some dating apps to understand the nerves of the youth.
In spite of being a non-alcoholic Shraey went on to attend every party in the city for almost a year to understand what would connect with the youth. “My friends always said ‘na toh tu pita hai, na toh tu khata hai, toh tu zindagi kyu jeeta hai’. This is exactly when the idea of creating a party song with alcohol and drugs came to my mind. One can completely party without alcohol and drugs.”
The ‘Hath Main Daru Nahi’ singer wants to combine both dance and singing like his idol Michael Jackson. Furthermore, he wishes to be a stage performer someday. “Michael Jackson left a huge mark on me as a youngster and he continues to be my idol. When I was young his dancing skills grabbed most of my attention, but it was later that I realised that he is a singer and a dancer. This is also when I associate with Honey Singh and my passion for singing became a reality,” said Shraey.
‘Hath Main Daru Nahi’ was created in Shraey’s room. The singer terms the journey of this song ‘incredible’. The song took eight months as the learning process consumed time. “People have called me to complimenting on the song and the idea. I am glad people have understood that the song is not only about partying but life too. It means ‘life is not only about materialist desire but it has more to it.”
Shraey believes in the simple mantra for life – “Listen to everyone, but when confused, talk to yourself. Because I believe, you have the universe in you and answers to all your questions. This is the mantra of life for me.”
