Singer Nakash Aziz is on a high after singing some of the most peppy numbers in recent times including Gandi Baat and Saari Ke Fall Sa. The singer and recently-turned music composer says he doesn't mind being tagged as a 'fun' singer

What do songs like Pungi, Dhating Naach, Gandi Baat and Sari Ke Fall Sa have in common? Well, apart from the fact that they are all fun songs, not to mention quite a hit with the youngsters, they have all been sung by Nakash Aziz, the latest entrant in the Bollywood playback industry.

Blessed with a voice that can convey the right amount of naughtiness and innocence, Aziz has managed to make people sit up and take notice of this talented singer.

Ask him if he fears getting slotted in the 'funky and fun' singer category and he smiles, `I have been already.` But he doesn't mind the tag. `See, I didn't even think I would become a singer in the first place. So if I have got the opportunity to sing these songs, with most of them turning out to be hits, how does that matter? As long as my parents are happy and I keep getting opportunities to be a part of the musical scene, that's all that really matters,` he says.

The Manglorean boy's first brush with music happened when he was really young. `I used to have just two music cassettes at that time, Chandni and Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and I used to pretend I'm Jolly Mukherjee or Udit Narayan and sing along with them,` he says about his Aurangabad days. Later, when the family shifted to Mumbai, Aziz got the chance to be part of a music show for kids, where he would sing the song at the end. `That, I think, is where it all began for me. After that, I was part of more shows like Aao Jhoomein Gaayein and Indian Idol,` he says. Although he didn't win in any of these shows, they did make him a little more self-confident about his abilities.


It was around that time, that his friend and later, co-singer, Antara Mitra introduced him to music composer Pritam. `I would assist him by singing scratches and at times, supervising the dubbing and programming. And one day, he just asked me to sing Pungi with Mika for the movie Agent Vinod, as he thought my voice would suit that song,` he said. Pungi became a hit and Aziz went on to sing for his idol, AR Rahman for the movie Maryan. `In the '90s, Rahman sir was my hero. I wanted to be like him. And in these seven years that I have been around, I got to work with people like Amit Trivedi, Rahman sir and Pritam - music composers I admire and enjoy singing for. What more can I ask for?` he says with a smile.

After composing music for Marathi movies like No Entry Pudhe Dhokha Aahe and Raada Rox, he is composing music for Vadhdivsachya Hardik Shubheccha. `I might compose for a Hindi film too,` he says, not wanting to reveal much at this stage. Ask Aziz if he enjoys composing more than singing and he laughs, `It's like asking which one of my sons I love more. For me, all that matters is that it's about music.`