I AM NOT JOHN ABRAHAM BUT HIMESH RESHAMMIYA

HIMESH RESHAMMIYA

Today is Himesh Reshammiya’s 47^th birthday. We wish him a happy birthday by reproducing this interview of HIMESH RESHAMMIYA taken by JYOTHI VENKATESH way back in 2007 in London where he had gone to cover the launch of his first film as producer- Aap Ka Suroor in a grand manner, where Himesh tells Jyothi that he is planning to start his own music schools and clothesline shortly

What exactly is your debut movie as a producer cum leading man Aap Ka Suroor all about?

The film is a dramatic love story directed by Prashant Chaddha who was earlier assistant to the late Mukul S. Anand. My film Aap Ka Suroor will have shades of me culled from my real life. Vijay Taneja will present the film.  You can call it autobiographical to some extent. It is inspired from my personal life. I would say that Aap Ka Suroor is the costliest film made till today.

Is it true that you had imported an auto rickshaw from Mumbai and shot a sequence in Germany?

Yes. We will shoot the film in Germany where we will even import an auto rickshaw from Mumbai for a particular scene. I have composed nine tracks for my film. To prepare myself as a leading man, I had even stopped eating ice cream. I am not a John Abraham but Himesh Reshammiya. I will keep up my promise to everyone that I will drop my hat for the film.

Isn't your leading lady Ria the child star Hansika Motwani of yesterday?

Yes. I am actually re-launching Hansika Motwani, who is a child star who had appeared in several films including Mehul Kumar's Jaago. Hansika is a fabulous actress who is making her debut with this film as a leading lady. In fact, we have even christened her with a new name - Ria.

Is it true that you have paid a bomb for Mallika Sherawat who appears in your film just for ten minutes?

It is all hogwash by a section of the media. Mallika Sherawat is playing a very interesting negative role. She has been paid moderately for our film and will be seen in the film for almost 30 to 40 minutes, contrary to the media reports about her. She is doing a brilliant job in my film. I cannot dwell more at length about the subject because the charm will go away if I reveal the plot. I am confident that the film will prove to be a big hit

Why do you think there are far too many controversies about you all the time?

There have been too many controversies surrounding me ever since I started tasting success. I have been dubbed arrogant. They say I sing from my nose and my voice is nasal. I do not mind admitting that my voice is indeed nasal, because what is important is that my songs have been appreciated by the masses. They say I have criticized Sonu Nigam's style of singing when I have never spoken ill of others. I do not know why people are jealous of me. If I had spoken ill of Sonu, do you think I would have asked him to sing a song in my film Apne?

Why are you not accepting new assignments as a music director?

I have stopped accepting new assignments for the last one-year or so because I want to reinvent myself as music director. Though my first film- Bandhan as a music director was appreciated for my music, I was dubbed a fluke. I am happy that now after I have composed for almost 40 films, people say that I am here to stay as music director and being asked why I am not taking up new assignments .

Is it true that you are planning to start your own school of music to attract new singing talents?

I am also all set to launch Himesh Reshammiya School of Music in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai shortly. It will be a hi tech school the first of its kind in Asia. It is sad but true that in India there are several malls, multiplexes and theatres but there is no hi tech school of music to train people who are interested in learning music as a profession. My school will have ten different divisions of music. It will teach pop music, Club DJ music, Violin, Stroke, guitar etc with the best of teachers from |India as well as abroad.

Where will the first school come up in India?

I am the first ever musician to do so in our country. The first school will come up in Kolkata because I feel that Kolkata is rich as far as music is concerned.

It is being whispered in film circles that like Karan Johar and Sunny Deol, you also are planning to start your own clothesline shortly?

It has been my father Vipin Reshammiya's dream to start this school of music for the past 40 years.  I have tied up with Kishore Bhayani of Pantaloons to start a line of clothing with brands like Jhalak, Suroor and Aashiqui. Pantaloons had actually approached me to endorse them. It was then that I suggested that they collaborate with me in the starting of music schools. With me, Pantaloons will create fashion lines and accessories.

You have written and produced TV serials. You have sung and composed for films. What is your ambition now, after launching yourself as an actor in films?

The most important agenda as of now is to bridge the rich talent that India has and also the rest of the world with the film industry and serve as a guide to lakhs of wannabes who want to take up playback singing as a profession. My school will have 10 divisions and around 10.000 students in each centre. Each school will have around 25,000 sq feet.