In
an era where that one break in the film industry is the most
aspirational thing on earth, popular singer Jasbir Jassi, who shot to
fame with his numbers like ‘Dil Le Gayi Kudi Gujarat Ni’ and ‘Ek Kudi
Kudi’, has refused to sing for one of Salman’s most talked about film
‘Kick’. So, why exactly did he do it? Jasbir, in an exclusive rendezvous
with Daily Bhaskar, explains. Excerpts from the freewheeling chat:
Why did you reject Salman’s film?
I was being asked to sign an illegal contract regarding my song for Kick. I refused to sign on the dotted line.
I was being asked to sign an illegal contract regarding my song for Kick. I refused to sign on the dotted line.
Didn't you think, for once, that you have rejected a film that stars Salman Khan. And that might land you in trouble?
Main aisi baatein kabhi sochta hi nahin hoon. Main hamesha achcha kaam karne ki sochta hoon. Mujhe nahin lagta ki koi apki life bana ya bigaad sakta hai. I think karne waala bhagwaan hi hota hai.
What do you mean by an illegal contract?
The format of contract (with the singers) followed years ago was that the music label / production house solely owns all the public performance rights to the song a singer will sing for them. They will own its royalty too. Which means if I sing a song for them – I will have no rights to that song. I cannot perform that specific song on any public platform (No matter how big a hit that song becomes). Also, I will get paid no royalties to the track. Imagine my state – I will not be able to perform a song that I have sung originally for the movie to any stage shows or concerts. Concerts are the bread and butter of a pop singer, and will always be. One concert can fetch us a huge sum. Hence, I refused. I, along with the whole music fraternity, had faced a similar trouble earlier. I didn’t want to face it all over again!
The format of contract (with the singers) followed years ago was that the music label / production house solely owns all the public performance rights to the song a singer will sing for them. They will own its royalty too. Which means if I sing a song for them – I will have no rights to that song. I cannot perform that specific song on any public platform (No matter how big a hit that song becomes). Also, I will get paid no royalties to the track. Imagine my state – I will not be able to perform a song that I have sung originally for the movie to any stage shows or concerts. Concerts are the bread and butter of a pop singer, and will always be. One concert can fetch us a huge sum. Hence, I refused. I, along with the whole music fraternity, had faced a similar trouble earlier. I didn’t want to face it all over again!
What was the trouble?
Years ago, T-Series would approach pop singers to cut an album. We were too naïve at that time, and looking at an offer of a crore for an album, an average singer would quickly agree to work for them (even I did. Who’d say no to that amount years ago?). But once your songs shoot you to overnight fame, and you are approached for stage shows, et al, you would come to know that the music banner has the complete rights to the songs and the album. And their rules stated – a singer has no right to his song, he cannot perform his songs on any public platform, he gets paid no royalties to his own songs. I was a victim to this. Imagine my state – I could not perform my songs for any stage shows. Concerts were the bread and butter of a singer at that time, and still are. One concert would fetch us around Rs. 20 lakhs, but we were robbed of that. We weren’t even paid any royalty either. We were mere slaves to the music banner. And this went on for years. In the end, a few of them, gave up to this crisis situation and – willingly or unwillingly – switched to Bollywood, putting an end to their individuality and their own independent albums. Another reason for becoming playback singers was that many of their solo albums never saw the light of the day. Every artist craves visibility, and those who couldn’t afford to fight for their rights, eventually gave in to the demand of the hour – singing for Bollywood, and become the voice of film stars.
Years ago, T-Series would approach pop singers to cut an album. We were too naïve at that time, and looking at an offer of a crore for an album, an average singer would quickly agree to work for them (even I did. Who’d say no to that amount years ago?). But once your songs shoot you to overnight fame, and you are approached for stage shows, et al, you would come to know that the music banner has the complete rights to the songs and the album. And their rules stated – a singer has no right to his song, he cannot perform his songs on any public platform, he gets paid no royalties to his own songs. I was a victim to this. Imagine my state – I could not perform my songs for any stage shows. Concerts were the bread and butter of a singer at that time, and still are. One concert would fetch us around Rs. 20 lakhs, but we were robbed of that. We weren’t even paid any royalty either. We were mere slaves to the music banner. And this went on for years. In the end, a few of them, gave up to this crisis situation and – willingly or unwillingly – switched to Bollywood, putting an end to their individuality and their own independent albums. Another reason for becoming playback singers was that many of their solo albums never saw the light of the day. Every artist craves visibility, and those who couldn’t afford to fight for their rights, eventually gave in to the demand of the hour – singing for Bollywood, and become the voice of film stars.
Meanwhile, singers like Honey Singh will continue to make it big by becoming the “voice of film stars”?
When people like Honey Singh agree to such “market demand” of abusive stuff, it only backfires. Bollywood lovers, Mumbaikars and Delhiites might fall in love with his rhythm, but back in Punjab, when I have to do stage shows, I’m being told strictly to avoid Punjabi songs consisting of abuses et al. They talk about all those singers who’ve literally sold their creativity to the film industry and how the Punjabis hate to see their songs being mixed and mashed and messed up – basically deviated from their original versions. Owing to such bitterness that I had to face (when my songs were later remixed, jazzed and spiced up sans my consent), I had begun to play safe. I would ask the respective music directors to mail me the lyrics of the song they want me to sing. I would go through it first, approve of each and every word in the song, and only then would I agree to lend my voice to it. I have no grudges against Honey Singh or any other Punjabi singer. My only issue is that the industry should not attempt to replicate one person's style. We’re not machines. Each singer has his own USP. Just because one Punjabi rapper agreed to abuse in his songs, doesn't mean every singer like me should be forced to follow his style.
When people like Honey Singh agree to such “market demand” of abusive stuff, it only backfires. Bollywood lovers, Mumbaikars and Delhiites might fall in love with his rhythm, but back in Punjab, when I have to do stage shows, I’m being told strictly to avoid Punjabi songs consisting of abuses et al. They talk about all those singers who’ve literally sold their creativity to the film industry and how the Punjabis hate to see their songs being mixed and mashed and messed up – basically deviated from their original versions. Owing to such bitterness that I had to face (when my songs were later remixed, jazzed and spiced up sans my consent), I had begun to play safe. I would ask the respective music directors to mail me the lyrics of the song they want me to sing. I would go through it first, approve of each and every word in the song, and only then would I agree to lend my voice to it. I have no grudges against Honey Singh or any other Punjabi singer. My only issue is that the industry should not attempt to replicate one person's style. We’re not machines. Each singer has his own USP. Just because one Punjabi rapper agreed to abuse in his songs, doesn't mean every singer like me should be forced to follow his style.
But you had sung ‘Laung Da Lashkara’ from the film Patiala House, right?
The last Bollywood song I sung was Laung Da Lashkara. But after that, I requested to Akshay (Kumar) that I don’t want to continue singing for films. They sign you for a Punjabi folk number, and after that, the song belongs to the music directors. They can do anything with it! Change it, rap it, add their own terms (that have no relation to Punjabi folk) and I feel helpless. Andar ka artist jo hota hai, woh toh aise marr hi jaata hai na. Itni galtiyaan hoti hain unn Hindi movies ke Punjabi gaanon mein ki main embarrass ho jaata hoon,” rues Jasbir. It is due to these reasons that I refused to sing for many Bollywood films – including Salman Khan’s Kick. And even Bobby Bedi’s film Mango.
The last Bollywood song I sung was Laung Da Lashkara. But after that, I requested to Akshay (Kumar) that I don’t want to continue singing for films. They sign you for a Punjabi folk number, and after that, the song belongs to the music directors. They can do anything with it! Change it, rap it, add their own terms (that have no relation to Punjabi folk) and I feel helpless. Andar ka artist jo hota hai, woh toh aise marr hi jaata hai na. Itni galtiyaan hoti hain unn Hindi movies ke Punjabi gaanon mein ki main embarrass ho jaata hoon,” rues Jasbir. It is due to these reasons that I refused to sing for many Bollywood films – including Salman Khan’s Kick. And even Bobby Bedi’s film Mango.
So, you’ve made up your mind to stay away from the film industry?
If I sing for Bollywood, I will lose connect with my own culture. Bollywood has begun to monopolise Punjabi songs. But in this process of Bollywoodisation of Punjabi numbers, the Punjabi flavor of a song is conveniently slashed off and the whole concept of ‘what sells’ barges in. So, the moment I’m signed to croon a (pure) Punjabi song for a Bollywood film, they recycle the song in such a way that I’m disheartened, shattered and totally put off by their norms. They ask me to insert abuses, slangs and all sorts of nonsensical terms into the track. And the result is not a pure Punjabi number but a cocktail of masaledaar rap combined with English beats with Punjabi music as a base. All this is done in the name of ‘aaj kal yahi bikta hai, isliye aapko yahi karna padhega.’ And when I disagree, I find out that I’ve already signed on the dotted line of the contract! I’m a puritan when it comes to my own culture, I don’t want to adulterate it just to add to my bank balance. I just can’t agree to their instructions, “Aapko abuse karna hi padhega, logon ko yahi achcha lagta hai.”
If I sing for Bollywood, I will lose connect with my own culture. Bollywood has begun to monopolise Punjabi songs. But in this process of Bollywoodisation of Punjabi numbers, the Punjabi flavor of a song is conveniently slashed off and the whole concept of ‘what sells’ barges in. So, the moment I’m signed to croon a (pure) Punjabi song for a Bollywood film, they recycle the song in such a way that I’m disheartened, shattered and totally put off by their norms. They ask me to insert abuses, slangs and all sorts of nonsensical terms into the track. And the result is not a pure Punjabi number but a cocktail of masaledaar rap combined with English beats with Punjabi music as a base. All this is done in the name of ‘aaj kal yahi bikta hai, isliye aapko yahi karna padhega.’ And when I disagree, I find out that I’ve already signed on the dotted line of the contract! I’m a puritan when it comes to my own culture, I don’t want to adulterate it just to add to my bank balance. I just can’t agree to their instructions, “Aapko abuse karna hi padhega, logon ko yahi achcha lagta hai.”
No Bollywood, and no T-Series. So what will you do now?
Now, I will neither be dependent on such music banners nor the film industry to take my songs to the audience. I’ve decided to do it all by myself, for myself and release my own album (just like my albums used to be year ago). And by that I mean – for my own birthplace. My funda, now, is very simple. Fortunately or unfortunately, main kuch achcha aur International karna chahta hoon. Bollywood is not my goal. Main rigid tha is baat pe ki main Bollywood nahin karna chahta. See, meri Bollywood se koi dushmani nahin hai, yeh industry humare desh ka hissa hai. Today, the Hindi film industry is the biggest platform for all singers. And I know whoever is associated with it, gets the fame they yearn for. Kiska mann nahin karta popular hone ka? Par main fir bhi Bollywood nahin karna chahta. I don’t want to lose my individuality, my identity – especially as that of a Punjabi singer. I don’t want to get lost in the world of films and uproot myself from my Pind. I am determined to stand up for my cause. I have cut my own album ‘Dhol’. And I will continue to do such work in the future.
Now, I will neither be dependent on such music banners nor the film industry to take my songs to the audience. I’ve decided to do it all by myself, for myself and release my own album (just like my albums used to be year ago). And by that I mean – for my own birthplace. My funda, now, is very simple. Fortunately or unfortunately, main kuch achcha aur International karna chahta hoon. Bollywood is not my goal. Main rigid tha is baat pe ki main Bollywood nahin karna chahta. See, meri Bollywood se koi dushmani nahin hai, yeh industry humare desh ka hissa hai. Today, the Hindi film industry is the biggest platform for all singers. And I know whoever is associated with it, gets the fame they yearn for. Kiska mann nahin karta popular hone ka? Par main fir bhi Bollywood nahin karna chahta. I don’t want to lose my individuality, my identity – especially as that of a Punjabi singer. I don’t want to get lost in the world of films and uproot myself from my Pind. I am determined to stand up for my cause. I have cut my own album ‘Dhol’. And I will continue to do such work in the future.
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