GURDAS MANN

“I come to Mumbai only for business, I am based in Punjab otherwise,” informs Gurdas Mann, sitting nineteen flights up, in an upstyle apartment that’s roomy and airy. From the way he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, it is apparent that he isn’t quite at home in the plush surroundings. He would rather be strolling down the beaten tracks back home in the mustard fields, breathing in fresh air and absently humming to himself the long-forgotten sufiana folk songs that he had picked from the village elders. “For a Jat Sikh whose ancestors have tilled the fields all their lives, for a keen sportsman who has a black belt in judo and for someone who has never been trained in music, I am amazed I have come this far,” Gurdas Mann remarks with a nonchalant shrug.

His power-packed stage performances are a rage and he is always booked to perform on Baisakhi. He never gets to celebrate the festival at home. He’s a crowd-puller this man, who confesses that never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that one day he would become a singer. “I was a keen sportsman, I have done my masters in physical education and for a while I have even worked as a physical instructor in a college,” he informs. But this strapping young man wasn’t destined to nurture sporting talent. Fate had arranged a one-song appearance on Jallandhar Doordarshan for him that was to change the entire course of his life. “I had written Dil da mamla... for an amateur Punjabi play, Sasi Punnu. It was a lively number alright but we hadn’t bargained for the havoc it created. Dil da mamla... brought in sackful of fan-mail not only from Punjab but also from across the border,” recalls the handsome singer. What with its lusty score, Gurdas’s seductive singing coupled with exuberant dancing, Dil da mamla... was an instant hit. Gurdas mesmerised Punjabis world over with his electrifying stage presence. Such was Gurdas’ popularity then that no function was deemed solemnised without his performance in Punjab. “I was caught up in a whirligig of stage shows, performing relentlessly day in and day out. I started off charging Rs 500 a night,” he reminisces bemusedly. It was almost 18 years ago in ’81 that the young singer revived Punjabi folk music. Gurdas went on to cut Dil da mamla... for HMV two years after his appearance on DD.

Gurdas is no ordinary folk singer, he’s a lyricist, composer, singer and choreographer all rolled into one. Speaking about his source of inspiration, he says, “I can’t exactly define how I create a number. It could be the humming of a bee, the mill siren or a rankling motor part in a vehicle — I get inspired by the rhythm and the song is born. At times I am inspired by situations too, like some time ago Ratan Jain, the Venus boss, declined to dine with us because his wife was waiting for him at home. That ticked off a thought process, and then and there I wrote a song which is now an encore number on my shows.”

It surely must entail some rehearsals and planning for Gurdas to captivate the audience over four to five hours with his solo performance? “We do not follow a set format, except the opening vandana and the concluding hardas. Whatever happens in between is totally unpredictable. God takes over our show and we act accordingly. The show grows according to the mood of the crowd and the ambience of the place,” Gurdas reiterates the divine intervention in his life. He then goes on to thank his athletic background for giving that vitality with which he packs the punch into his shows.

Admittedly, he hasn’t been trained in music, then how does he manage to impart a depth and range to his singing? “By God’s grace I have never had to look for gurus, I have met them at various stages in my life. I remember, when I was a school kid, there was this sweet vendor who’s tap a flat board and sing to its beat — I picked the basic sense of rhythm from him. Then at the village chaupal, our elders taught us Waris Shah’s traditional Heer. During the impressionable years, I followed folk singers Yamla Jat and Surinder Kaur. Later in life, I learnt a great deal by listening to Ashaji, Lataji and Rafiji. But, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, I must admit, was the biggest influence in my life for I too sing in the sufiana style,” he reveals.

Gurdas Mann has 27 Punjabi folk albums to his credit and in addition he has done some playback in Hindi films. “As a stage performer I tend to sing at a higher pitch, my voice is really not suited for giving playback. Nonetheless I am giving playback for Arshad and Naseeruddin Shah in their forthcoming films,” he discloses. His argument really doesn’t hold good taking into consideration what a runaway hit his Chak chak lyange..., the chart-topper in Ram Shastra, picturised on Jackie Shroff, was.

It’s boom time for Punjabi folk music. Amongst the Malkits, Bally Sagoos, Sukhbirs and Dalers, how does Gurdas hold his own still? “For me the lyrics are of prime importance, geet mein vajan hona chahiye. My shows aren’t just a song and dance routine. My music is for the soul. People sit back and enjoy my singing, very rarely do they get up and dance around. That’s the kind of repect my fans give me,” he observes gratefully.

Gurdas is not averse to fusion music, he is bringing out a re-mix of his hits very soon,”If re-mix is the order of the day, we have to comply, I’m game provided it’s well-done” he says. But he is rather wary of cover version re-mixes, “T-Series has re-mixed all my hits in Lakha Singh’s voice, I don’t think that’s fair,” he states disapprovingly.

His latest music video, Hamara Punjab brought him back in the limelight and now he’s all fired up about his soon-to-be released album, Dil hona chaida jawan for Venus.”It has different shades of traditional folk as well as western pop. The music video, choreographed by Rangeela fame Ahmed Khan, is slated to hit the air soon,” he elaborates. He’s going strong with his stage shows too,”I spend most of my time travelling,” he rues,”I have performed the world over. I am going to Rome next.”

However, despite all the jet-setting and recording, Gurdas finds time to act in films, Punjabi ones. He’s all set to play the lead opposite Divya Dutta in Shahid-E-Mohobbat, inspired by a true love story, being produced by his wife Manjit Mann. “She’s my lady-luck, she has brought me all this prosperity,” he acknowledges gazing lovingly at Manjit.

“God has been really kind to us, Mann is doing so well for himself and our only son, Gurik has secured admission at the prestigious school, Eton on his own merit. He’s studying in an institution that has produced 70 prime ministers and where the British royalty is studying,” Manjit says with pride. But his success hasn’t made Gurdas complacent or arrogant. The singer insists that he’s never satisfied. “I have so much to learn still,” he points out. He hasn’t changed. He is still proud to be the son of the soil and most humble about his achievements. “God has been partial to me,” he reasons.