How was it growing up in your father’s shadow?
I think I’m very lucky to have him as my father. I have always admired and looked up to
him. In fact I’m fortunate to have a very simple and a loving family who never made me feel
like a ‘star kid’. It is probably because of our humble roots. I’ve seen my dad’s entire career
graph. We belong to a village in Bihar which still doesn’t have electricity. My grandfather
was a farmer. Mom, dad & I used to live in my mom’s house in Kalina in a 1bhk. It was his
struggle that I have seen and experienced. I have seen both the sides : his struggle & his
success. I know the value of 5 paise. That is what has kept us grounded. You know when
I was born, my dad wasn’t actually happy because he was struggling then and was going
through a lot of pressure. But I was lucky for my family. Qayamat se qayamat happened in
the same year that I was born. He has never looked back after that day.
WHAT IS LOVE?
It took me 10 songs to explain love
in my album. Please hear it.
BEST SINGER EVER
Me in 30 years. Also Kishore
Kumar & Papa
You started your career in music at a very young age. Do you think you
would’ve chosen this path even if you weren’t born in a musical family? MUSIC TO YOU IS
I’m not sure. A lot of it has to do with my DNA. Not a lot of people know that my mother
too is a successful playback singer in regional films. I have loved the arts of music & films
since the day that I can remember. Even before I developed a conscience, I was already in
love with music. It’s in my karmic destiny to be born into this family & do what I am doing. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO
EAT RIGHT NOW?
As a child, you also started working in movies, how was your experience
working with Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan at that age?
Everything
I have a terrible sweet tooth so
I would say Nutella pancakes &
Waffles with maple syrup!
WHICH MUSIC DIRECTOR
I was too young to realize that I was working with superstars. To their credit,
HAVE YOU LOVED WORKING
they never let me feel that way either. I just remember having a lot of fun
WITH?
working with both, Salman & Shah bhai . I remember this one night
with Shahrukh we were shooting in Mysore and after the schedule
AR Rahman
wrap we were chilling in this lounge and girls were dying to
dance with him but he was busy dancing the night away with
us. Salman is a riot on the sets. He is the biggest kid on set.
But when we are shooting, he’s truly gifted. I remember
being stuck in one of the emotional scenes in the movie and him patiently helping me out. They have always
been very encouraging . I continue to look up to them.
You released an album called “Aditya” as a child artist, how did that happen?
In the olden days, female singers used to do playback for kids. So technically I was probably the first and
the only kid doing playback for kids. That is when Universal Music approached us and my parents asked
me if I was interested so I was like yeah why not. They wanted to do a remix album since at that time
there weren’t really any remix songs or albums. We shot a video with Ken Ghosh. It did very well and
was a huge hit. Then my voice started to crack and I started sounding like a frog which is when my father
explained to me that every boy goes through this phase for a few years during adolescence. So I took a
break from professional singing for a few years and (tried to) concentrate on my studies.
How was the experience of working as a host of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa for Four Seasons?
I’ve hosted over 250 episodes so far and it has been a great experience. Honestly, I had never even
considered TV to be a career option when I was 18. At that time I was studying music in London. I had
just returned home after completing my diploma which is when Zee called me to audition, which I
did within the next couple of days & before I knew it, I was chosen! That particular season went on
to garner a record breaking viewership, making me a household name overnight. People loved my
work and I continued to host Sa Re Ga Ma Pa for 3 consecutive seasons. I hosted Sa Re Ga Ma Pa lil
champs last year and I am all set to return as the host for my fifth season. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has helped
me establish my own identity, I bought my first house at 21 and re-started doing live concerts as
well. I also started getting a lot of offers as a lead actor for movies. But one that caught my attention
the most was Vikram Bhatt’s offer.
You’ve said that working in Shaapit made you rethink your priorities in life,
how did that happen?
I was not expecting this kind of success at such an early stage of my life. I love horror movies, so
when Vikram approached me with ‘Shaapit’ I was extremely excited. I thoroughly enjoyed working
on Shaapit. Unfortunately it didn’t do very well at the box office. That’s when I realized that all this
abundance of job offers only lasts till the time you are doing well. Suddenly, film offers disappeared.
That’s when I actually, for the first time in my life, thought about what my next step was going to be
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