Singing a different tune

Raahul Jatin

Raahul Jatin acknowledges that his latest release, Shopping, a vibrant and peppy number with a host of commercial trinkets, is a deviation from his style of music. "I wanted to do something different to see if I enjoyed it. In doing so, I was hoping to find a new version of myself. Watching myself in the music video moved me. I saw myself simply having fun, and dancing around, and I thought it looked nice. I'd like to do that again," says the singer, asserting that the beauty of independent music lies in an artiste's ability to follow his instincts.

Raahul's composer-father Jatin Pandit has enjoyed a successful run in the Indian film industry, a space that the youngster has kept at an arm's length. A discussion around which of the two industries would be more commercially viable, he says, has never ensued between his father and him. "The only thing that my dad has told me is that [music-making] is a difficult business and that I need to keep going. Nowadays, there's barely any music in films, anyway."

Being the child of a celebrated composer, he says, does not necessarily place him in a favourable position. "I don't think [I am at an advantage]. The perception that people will give you work simply because they have worked with someone in your family is not correct. Actor's kids are given work because producers also benefit from that collaboration. But that wouldn't be the case with me. Also, my father has always received work only due to the quality of his previous releases. He has not forged any personal relationships. When he was never given work for reasons other than the quality of his music, why would his son be advantaged?"

The youngster encourages aspiring artistes to venture into the industry if they hope to follow their passion, but encourages them to "have a plan B". "It is a difficult business, and it can take a long time to get to a point where you feel you can make a living from this job."