‘His voice will always live on’: Anu Malik recalls how ‘the whole atmosphere would change’ because of Kumar Sanu’s charm in the recording studio during the 90s era
Anu Malik recently revisited his memorable musical collaborations with Kumar Sanu, recalling the unique energy the celebrated playback singer brought to recording studios during the 1990s era of Bollywood. Appearing on ‘India’s Best Dancer’ Season 5, Malik revealed that Sanu would approach songs without listening to them beforehand and praised his ability to elevate every composition with his distinctive voice. The composer also expressed his desire to reunite with Sanu, calling his voice one that will “always live on” and promising they will collaborate again soon.
Anu Malik remembers the magic of Kumar Sanu’s studio sessions
As contestants Ritesh and Prateek delivered an energetic performance on ‘India Wala Dance’, Anu Malik and Kumar Sanu reminisced about their long-standing musical bond and the memorable sessions they shared together. When host Haarsh Limbachiyaa asked the veterans what usually unfolded inside the studio during their recordings, Anu Malik recalled the unique energy Kumar Sanu brought along.He said, “Humne bohot kaam kiya hain aur 90s ka poora daur dekha hain. Jab Sanu studio aate the, toh poora mahol hi badal jaata tha (We have done a lot of work and witnessed the entire era of the ’90s. Whenever Sanu ji would come to the studio, the whole atmosphere would change).”Anu Malik further revealed an interesting detail about their working style, sharing that Kumar Sanu never listened to a song beforehand. He explained, “Sabse pehle, joh gaana record hona tha, woh kabhi sunata hi nahi tha. For example, ‘Sambhala Hai Maine Bahot Apne Dil Ko’, yeh gaane ke unhone lyrics likh liye aur mujhe dekh ke soch rahe the, ‘Pata nahi yaar, shayad achha hi hoga, ab Anu ji ne banaya hain toh achha hi hoga’ (First of all, he would never listen to the song that was going to be recorded. For example, with ‘Sambhala Hai Maine Bahut Apne Dil Ko,’ he had written down the lyrics and was looking at me thinking, ‘I don’t know, yaar, maybe it’ll be good. Now that Anu ji has composed it, it must be good’).”The composer added that he would make Sanu rehearse the complete song first before asking for his feedback. He recalled, “Maine unhe poora gaana rehearse karwaya, unhone kar bhi liya, aur jab maine poocha ki gaana kaisa laga, toh bole, ‘Arey Dada, agar aapne banaya hai toh kamaal hi hoga’ (I made him rehearse the entire song, and he did it. When I asked him how he liked the song, he said, ‘Oh Dada, if you’ve composed it, it must be fantastic’).“
Anu Malik hopes to reunite with Kumar Sanu
Expressing his desire to work with the singer once again, Anu Malik said, “Yeh mera saubhagya hoga ki main phir se Kumar Sanu ke liye gaana banaunga. Kyunki woh itne lajawab singer hain ki jab bhi aate hain, agar gaana chaar chaand ka hota hai toh usme barah chaand laga ke jaate hain. Yeh woh awaaz hain joh hamesha zinda rahegi, aur hum jald hi saath kaam karenge yeh mera vada hain (It would be my good fortune to compose a song for Kumar Sanu once again. He is such an incredible singer that whenever he comes in, if a song has four moons, he adds twelve more to it. His is a voice that will live forever, and I promise that we will work together again very soon).”
Anu Malik and Kumar Sanu’s musical legacy
Over the years, Anu Malik and Kumar Sanu have delivered several chartbusters together that continue to remain popular among music lovers. Their collaborations include hits like ‘Sambhala Hai Maine’ from ‘Naraaz’, ‘Bheegi Bheegi Teri Zulfein’ from ‘Khilaaf’, ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen’ from ‘Baazigar’, and ‘Tu Shayar Hai’ from ‘Saajan’, among many other memorable tracks that defined an era of Bollywood music.