1. Which band / singer / lyricist inspired you ( Akhil Sachdeva) in singing?

Frankly saying, there is nothing special which has inspired me in singing. I have a band but you would be amused to hear that I don’t listen to songs much. Everything which has a soul in it inspires me.

2. How did “Hamsafar” and “Badrinath ki Dulhania” collided and then reunited? How did it happen?

I wrote Hamsafar three years back portraying my own life story. I met Shashank Khaitan, the director of the film, a couple of years back at Huma Qureshi’s house where he was writing the script of the film “Badrinath ki Dulhania”. He requested me to sing and after listening he wanted the song “Hamsafar” to be in his upcoming film.

3. So what do you think about the audience and the critics. Are they looking for catchy-tunes or deep lyrics?

There isn’t always one way of connecting with the heart. There are different nerves getting into the heart. For me, I make a melody before I start writing the lyrics. If a song has a good melody, it will be hummable. The first time, you hear a good song, you would start humming it. So, it depends.

4. What is the present scenario / environment in the Bollywood industry these days?

Bollywood happened to me with Humsafar and I believe that this kind of debut has happened to a few singers in the industry. I remember when I started off with my band “Nasha” and gave a new genre “Sufi Rock” . So, it takes time to get accustomed with something new but if you can survive the hard times then you would definitely get a spot in the industry.

5. With whom do you want to work with in the near future?

I would like to work with people who create soulful stuffs and think that my voice can make a difference.

6. After Humsafar happened and Badrinath ki Dulhania released, how did you manage yourself in front of the public and fame?

To be frank, I am familiar with the fame as I have been travelling to places for my band. But yes, it took me some time to consume the fame that I have got due to Humsafar (more than 77 million views already!!)

7. People expect a lot from you when you have given a chart buster. Is there an inner conflict which goes on inside you that you have to deliver something better than “Humsafar”?

I have traveled different places in the world doing shows. And, I believe that I have more good melodies like Humsafar with me already. I am working on making the Reprised version of Humsafar right now. So, even if there is an inner conflict that goes inside someone’s head it hasn’t put much effect on me.

8. Let’s talk about the Indie Pop era where the Bombay Vikings, Baba Saigal etc came to the picture and soon faded away after a few years. So, do you think that the music industry is always a productive driven industry that they want to uplift the singers and put them in the film industry?

It’s not like that. The film industry is always the biggest medium for an exposure. Moreover, the genre of music changes over a short period of time. So, there is no specific reason to why the Indie Pop era faded away. But now, we are more into new sound, new talents.

9. Any message for LaughaLaughi.

Just pray for me and write good things. Let my audience know that I love them and I promise to give more this year.

Interview by : Diptesh Bhattacharya