EP-280 | Fight with Music Directors, Shah Rukh, Auto-Tune, Sanatana, Gandhi, Pakistan | Abhijeet

Abhijeet Bhattacharya is one of the most iconic voices in Bollywood, having lent his voice to several memorable tracks for Shah Rukh Khan, Govinda, and Salman Khan. His voice became synonymous with Shah Rukh Khan in many hit songs. He won the Filmfare Award and the Screen Award for Best Singer for his song "Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaoon" from Yes Boss.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Abhijeet discusses what's wrong with the music industry, as Auto-Tune and artificial intelligence are increasingly taking over. He also shares untold stories about legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, and Mohammad Rafi. Going down memory lane, he reveals why he chose to pursue a career in singing.

Abhijeet also speaks about Sanatana Dharma, A.R. Rahman, and his controversial relationship with Shah Rukh Khan.

Audio Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction

01:53 – Singing as a Career

05:45 – Stories of Lata, Kishore, & Rafi

08:10 – Childhood Stories

15:40 – How Directors Choose Heroines

22:45 – How the Music Industry Evolved

26:45 – Accent Influence in Singing

33:02 – Singing with Jatin–Lalit

35:18 – Udit Narayan Kiss Controversy

39:15 – Ranveer Allahbadia Controversy

41:25 – Udhayanidhi's Remarks on Sanatan Dharma

43:05 – PR Advice

46:43 – Pakistani Actors & Singers

49:58 – Gandhi–Pakistan "Father of Nation" Row

54:40 – Love for 90s Songs

56:19 – Clash with Music Directors

01:01:10 – Hit Songs

01:05:40 – Songs for Shah Rukh Khan

01:07:25 – Kishore Kumar & Mukesh Songs

01:10:41 – Meeting Old Friends After Fame

01:13:20 – AI in the Music Industry