Subhro Ganguly: “I would never do cringe pop like Dhinchak Pooja”

Subhro Ganguly may have just started his career in Bollywood but the playback singer is making all the right moves. The talented singer-composer has sung two songs in Indra Kumar’s upcoming film Total Dhamaal which releases on February 22. Both Mungda and Paisa Yeh Paisa, which have become quite popular, have Shubhro behind the mic along with few other singers. As Total Dhamaal gets ready to hit the theatres, Subhro reveals how it all happened in the first place. In this exclusive chat with Cine Blitz, the singer talks about his first music break, his experience doing a singing reality show and why is more inclined towards the romantic genre.

Tell us about your first break in Bollywood.

I have been signed by a company called soundtrack which is owned by Kookie Gulati. He gave me break for my music video that released a year ago and because of that people got to know me in general music zone. He’s also the creative director of the film Total Dhamaal. He told me to try out two songs and then the producers also like it. That’s how I got ‘Paisa Yeh Paisa’ and ‘Mungda’. I have been in Mumbai for around 7 years and I was studying computer engineering from Xavier’s college.

How was it working with Mika Singh, Arijit Singh and Sukhwinder Singh as each one of them has different energies?

Mika Singh sung the first song that I ever composed. It was for the TV show called ‘Mission Sapne’.  I have opened a show for Arijit Singh in 2015 when he was delivering big hits and that was my first ever live show. It was surreal to perform live in front of a huge audiences and it went well. I met Arijit before starting the show and he wished me luck and was all chill and calm. Even when I have bumped into him randomly, I have always seen him very calm. And a true musician I feel has to be like that and away from the worldly things so they can focus on music. I wish to be like him, very calm and patient about everything.  I was 21 when I met Mika and he is very down to earth. He greets so lovingly that even if he doesn’t know me, he would still be so nice to me. He is totally a different energy all together.

Do you write your own songs? What genre songs do you usually write and sing?

Yes, I do write and because I am a Bengali thoughts do come to my mind for songs. But I do need professional help to put it together properly. Even my first song ‘Dil zara tu sunn’ was co-written by Yasmin Musarrat. My liking is more towards the romantic songs as I usually listen to Pakistani songs and artists like Jal, Atif Aslam and many others. I was influenced by their music and was obsessed with it. So I am more inclined towards the romantic genre. After doing stage shows, I have stated enjoying dance numbers now. But still my core music, I would say, is romantic as I know how people will react to it.

Did you ever try doing a music reality show to become a singer? If yes then tell us do these shows actually give out sad stories of contestants for TRP?

I had tried four years ago when I was in college and I didn’t like the experience of the music reality show much. It is true that such things happen. They do look out for such stories which have struggle in it to show on screen. But if you see from a visual medium, they do require it, and the stories are real too sometimes. I had tried for Himesh Reshammiya’s show Sur Kshetra but then I didn’t like the experience too much. So I didn’t take that route of being a singer through music reality show.

Usually everyone looks for an inspiration but tell us is there anyone you don’t want to be like?

I would never do cringe pop which is like doing random stupid videos online like Dhinchak Pooja does. I think they are great people and popular but I would never do that because hat will be sabotage the musical integrity.

If not singing then what else would you have done?

I was about to become an engineer and before that I had applied for flight training for the commercial pilot. I had got my Student pilot license (SPL). Then the market crashed so I chose to do something else. I do hope to one day try flying if things fall in place.