Kailash Kher: ‘I brought spiritual music to the mainstream’

Kailash Kher

Released yesterday, to coincide with his birthday, Ishq hai is the fourth single from Kailash Kher's album that the singer says is an extension of the work he has been doing in the industry since he stepped into it. Stating that he believes it is his calling to serve people with music, Kher tells mid-day, "Since I was born, the almighty decided I would create a name in this industry. We released the first [edition] of my album, Kailasa, in 2006, and when we spoke to people about what it implies, they were impressed. Kailasa means divinity. We added spirituality to romantic music as well. Having grown up in an ashram in Rishikesh, in the company of saints, I was never exposed to film music. So, when I entered the industry with the idea of showcasing my music, I introduced a fresh take [to Bollywood music]. Our successive five albums were hits," says Kher, adding that the latest album also attempts to make spiritual music mainstream.

The boom of streaming platforms may have music aficionados questioning the need for an album when singles can be easily accessed, but, Kher says, the demand for a cohesive musical piece will always continue to be there. "If you notice, the past two songs from this album, Dil jaani and Mera dil hai, are also rooted in spirituality. No matter how much the world changes, there will always be a demand for music that touches the soul. After food, art is of utmost importance for people. After the stomach has been satiated, the heart needs to be satiated, and that happens with knowledge and art. We created this album because our fans had been asking us to make more music."

Asserting that his music is an extension of his lifestyle, Kher says his food is "as pure as the kind you can offer to God". "Even though I belong to this generation, I am drawn to [Indian practices] dating thousands of years ago. The food I eat is grown by me. Even the curd I consume is made from the milk I get from my gaushala in Lonavala. Even though I have created both film and non-film music, I am known in my concerts for the latter. The reason I received the Padma Shri title in the short tenure of 12 years is because I could bring spiritual music to the mainstream, and change the course of the creation of romantic music," says the singer, who is set to head to the USA on tour in September.

Kher believes the Indian music space has seen a significant evolution, a major chunk of which has been brought about by the south Indian film fraternity. "I believe that the energy of the places where the bigger Indian temples are situated is the most prominent. The power of the south Indian temples has enabled movies from this part of the country to reach the Oscars. In the past, there was another film that reached the Oscars; one that showed Indians jumping into a pile of shit. Think about how much that damaged our reputation. But, films like RRR [2022], which also make a reference to Lord Ram, are the ones that shone on [international turf]. I have never seen God's music being played in movies. But, in films like Baahubali, such music was celebrated. These films also promote a good message. It isn't like those that run for 20 years but have a shallow [message to propagate]."

In the pipeline for him is his book launch. Kher's coffee table book, he says, will shed light on interesting anecdotes related to the lyrics of his songs. "It will describe how our popular tracks were made, and how our experiences influenced our work."