Chhaayaageet #116: "You sing too?"
No matter what decade you belong to, you've sat around with a group of friends in college, singing songs, using your books or the desk to drum the beats. It is almost a daily ritual, they might as well block time for this as one of the class periods on the schedule. A song on the lips, music in the heart, friends to sing along. What more does one need at that age?
And if you are talented enough to write a few lines, and carry your guitar everywhere you go, then you and your buddy make your own song. Such is the case with him and his friend.
On one such day while in the first year of college, he and his friend start writing and composing a song, an ode to remembering a loved one. A few lines now and then, a few tunes here and there, it starts to take shape. It's a slow process. But you can't rush what is a labor of love. The process is equally or perhaps more enjoyable as the end result.
College gets over. Paths diverge. People as talented as him are not meant for a desk job. Armed with a degree in journalism and mass communications, he starts working in radio. A turn as a VJ, then on television, anchoring and co-hosting some shows on MTV, acting in some reality shows.
He dreams of acting in films, but he does not hail from a filmi family, nor does he have a godfather in the industry. So he bides his time with these gigs waiting for the right subject to come along. The subject must be the star.
And that song? From time to time, he and his friend come back to it. They wonder if they should write more songs and make an album, or record it and put it on YouTube. But he decides against it. He decides to wait for the right break, when he gets a chance to play a character, and also sing for the character.
Meanwhile in another part of the country, an actor is starting his own production house. He has a script. He has a director identified. For three years they have been researching the plot themes.
It's a low budget film. A lot of new faces including the heroine, the script writer, the cinematographer, even the music composers. They need a hero.
"Why don't you act in this film?", the director asks the actor.
"If I am producing, I need to do my best job as a producer. Besides we need someone who connects with the youth of today", the actor replies.
One day, in a meeting, the director has a brainwave.
"Ek ladka hai, Delhi mein VJ hai. Punjabi bhi likhta bolta hai. Ye ladka aaj ke youth se connected hai", the director says. There is a boy, he is a VJ in Delhi. He also reads and writes Punjabi. He is connected with the youth of today.
"Should we call him for an audition?", the producer inquires.
"No, I have seen his work. We don't need to audition him. He will fit the role", the director is confident.
The boy, our talented hero, is summoned. He is given an overview of the plot. He is surprised at the topic. They really want to make a film on this taboo topic?
"Aapko mere chehre pe aisa kya dikh gaya ki aap ko laga ki is topic ka ye role mein kar paoonga?" he asks the producer and director. What did you see in my face that made you think I can do this role on this topic?
They don't have to answer. They just know he would fit well. He too likes the script. This is the kind of script he has been waiting for. And now it has found him.
"Sir ye jo aap bol rahe hain na, taboo topic hai, ye maine actually real life mein kiya hai, MTV pe", he throws them another curve ball. Sir what you are saying is taboo, I have done in real life, on MTV.
Now the director is flabbergasted. He has actually never met anyone who has done it, until now.
Shooting of the film commences. The boy realizes he has a lot to unlearn. He has done theater, he has done TV, he has anchored shows. He understands that as an anchor you look at the camera, as an actor you have to ignore the camera.
One day, our boy arrives on set, with a guitar slinging on his shoulder. This seems to be the right moment to unleash the song. Should he, should he not?
As the day and filming get going, during a break he says to the director, "Sir, I have a song. Would you like to hear it?"
"You sing too?", the director is surprised. Is there no end to what this guy can do?
"Yes sir. This is a song, my friend and I wrote and composed while we were in college", he shares.
"Go ahead, let's hear it", the director pulls a chair. Everyone gathers around. The producer is also on set today.
The boy pulls the guitar out of its case, clears his throat and strums a bit. Then he starts singing.
When the song is over, they are in awe of this young man, and fall in love with the song, the depth of writing, the beautiful tune, and his voice. Such a wonderful soft composition. They decide they must have it in the film.
The music composers approach the filmmaker, "Sir ye kisi aur ki awaz mein record karke dekhte hain kya rang lata hai." Sir, lets try this in some other singer's voice and see how it sounds.
Ultimately, everyone decides our boy must sing it himself.
Ayushmann Khurrana and his friend, Rochak Kohli, wrote and composed the song Pani da when they were in DAV college in Chandigarh in 2002. Ayushmann got his big break in the 2012 film Vicky Donor, which was the first production of actor John Abraham's film company, and directed by Shoojit Sircar. Yami Gautam, in her first film, played the female lead. The duo of Abhishek-Akshay provided music for the film. Rochak Kohli also got to compose two other songs in the film.
The topic of infertility and sperm donation was a taboo topic, and had to be treated sensitively. Script writer Juhi Chaturvedi and director Shoojit Sircar did a masterful job of handling this subject, without it appearing preachy and boring, or cheapened by comedy and made vulgar.
Ayushmann Khurrana had acted in the MTV reality show Roadies and in one of the episodes he actually had to do sperm donation. When he told about this to Shoojit Sircar, Sircar was even more surprised as he had never met a sperm donor before.
At the 58th Filmfare Awards, Vicky Donor received 8 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Sircar), Best Supporting Actress and Best Female Debut (Yami Gautam). It won 4 awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Annu Kapoor), Best Male Debut (Ayushmann Khurrana), Best Story (Juhi Chaturvedi), and Best Male Playback Singer (Ayushmann Khurana).
Ayushmann performing Pani da live at an awards ceremony.
The song Pani da also received much acclaim and was awarded Hottest Song of the Year at the 2012 Global Indian Music Academy Awards.
Music: Ayushmann Khurrana, Rochak Kohli
Lyrics: Ayushmann Khurrana, Rochak Kohli
Singer: Ayushmann Khurrana
*ing: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Producer: John Abraham
Film: Vicky Donor (2012)