MUMBAI: After announcing the launch of EMI Records India earlier this year, the label has now launched its first single ‘Lamhein’ by Anmoll Mallik. Daughter of famed Bollywood music composer Anu Mallik, she is also the first artist to be signed under the label. The single, a recreation of British band Coldplay’s ‘Paradise’, was launched on 29 September, 2015 at Hard Rock Café in Andheri.
This debut single experience has been an overwhelming one for Mallik, who earlier sang for film songs. In fact, this is the first time that she will feature in a music video, which she is a little nervous about. “I got most nervous while facing the camera. But, Mohit (Suri) Sir stayed really patient and kind with me. He is a magical director to work with,” confessed the singer.
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With ‘Lamhein’ Mallik explores a different genre. “I am extremely excited with the launch of this song as it showcases a new side of my vocal ability,” she said. Mallik, who is known for commercial songs like ‘Talli’ (Ugly Aur Pagli) and ‘Nagin Dance’ (Bajatey Raho), explained that she realised that she could sing jazz numbers after singing ‘Old School Girl’ from ‘Tanu Weds Manu’. “That was when I decided to push myself a little more. My dad is known for his versatility, he can make music in different genres. Somewhere I wanted to explore that with my voice too,” she added.
The opportunity of working with EMI Records India did not come to Mallik out of the blue. She really worked hard towards it. “I had been tracking them for ages. I am always doing something or the other, always trying to explore the Indie space,” stated Mallik.
On opting to do a rendition of a Coldplay song instead of an original she stated, “Devraj (Sanyal) Sir had EMI Records India and wanted to start it again. So they came up with this plan of recreating a song that is already popular. They asked me which is my favourite band, and that is how ‘Paradise’ was selected. We have given this song a whole new meaning. We changed the structure of the song because Hindi music and English music have very different structures. Manoj (Muntashir) Sir has written really good lyrics, and my dad had used his musical expertise.”
Interestingly, Mallik was not too sure about recreating ‘Paradise’ but things just fell in place. She recalled that initially she thought that it would not be possible to recreate a hit like ‘Paradise’. However, they did a few jam sessions and created it from scratch, and then sent it to the Grammy winning band for their approval. “Trust me, I did not think they would approve it. I actually tried to blank myself out of it. I was completely stoked when I heard that they liked it. That is when things got rolling,” she added.
The artist believes that ‘Lamhein’ would not be possible without her father- Anu Malik’s support and guidance. “It has been a long journey for both of us. I have had to work really hard, maybe because I come from a large legacy, and people expect a lot from me. All my life I have been trying to create a separate identity for myself as Anmoll. I am proud of being a Mallik, but I would like that to come later. My dad has supported me through thick and thin; he has been my rock. So, I am a very small part of this development –‘Lamhein’. I think everyone else who has been involved with this project is the real hero,” she said.
Despite trying a new genre, the singer is not looking at catering to just one particular genre of music. She wants to do it all, whether it is Bollywood, Jazz, ballads or Indie. “I am a very simple person, there is nothing grand about me. All I want to do is showcase my versatility as a singer. Not many know that I can sing in Spanish, French and Persian. I just want to do music that touches people’s hearts,” Mallik added.
EMI Records India is an initiative between leading music label Universal Music India and acclaimed film director Mohit Suri. The video for ‘Lamhein’ features Mallik along with Mohit Marwah, nephew of actor Anil Kapoor, whose previous work includes a role in ‘Fugly’. The music video also marks Suri’s non-film directorial debut.
