Benny Dayal has made a name and niche for himself in Bollywood in a pretty short time. The birthday boy is one of the leading playback singers in the industry today. Benny rose to fame with chartbusters like Pappu Can’t Dance Saala (Jaane tu Ya Jaane Na) , Tu Hi Meri Dost Hai (Yuvvraaj) and Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gayee (Ghajini). He’s AR Rahman’s blue-eyed boy and a unique voice that’s hard to find.
We’re grooving to Benny’s best Bollywood numbers on his birthday (13 May) and one thing’s for sure - Pappu might not know how to dance, but Benny can surely sing like a dream.
When I sang ‘Pappu…’I had no idea how Imran looked. In fact I first saw him only in the promos of Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. But he is a really cool guy. As for singing for Aamir sir (Ghajini), I was a bit apprehensive whether my voice would suit Aamir Khan. But when I saw the end product after the song was picturised, I was satisfied.Benny Dayal, Playback singer (a previous interview)
From a mundane job as an HR professional to singing for Bollywood’s biggest stars, Benny has come a long way.
Meeting and working with AR Rahman was a dream come true and a real turning point for Benny. His favourite Benny Dayal song is Nazar Laaye from Raanjhanaa, a melody composed by none other than his idol, AR Rahman.
Well, AR Rahman is more than a composer to me you know. To just work with him and understand him as a human being, itself is a big pleasure. You don’t even have to sit and talk with him to understand him; what he’s going through and what he’s trying to portray with his work and stature. So it’s really really nice to work with him because he’s just cool and non-pretentious and very spontaneous with what he does. Whatever that comes out and you hear are all spontaneous ideas.Benny Dayal (a previous interview)
Benny is a performer at heart. But he admits that a live stage is like life itself, merciless.
Singing in studios is easy today. I can definitely say that because there is so much of editing and auto-tune; the best things come out to you. When you’re live, there’s no escape. You’ve just got to be on dot.Benny Dayal
The one music maestro that Benny Dayal wishes to work with in the near future is Vishal Bhardwaj. There’s no music he doesn’t like and is also well versed with a variety of genres and languages.
When it comes to music, I listen to anything and everything. I just enjoy listening to music of any type. As a musician, I believe one must be well versed with different genres of music across languagesBenny Dayal
And just to see his range beyond Bollywood numbers, check this Coke Studio performance.
(This article is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 13 May 2016. It is being republished to mark Benny Dayal’s birthday.)
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