World Music Day Special| Rahul Vaidya: Our lives would be empty without music

Vaidya, who has singles Madhanya and Prem Kahani to his credit, tells us, his journey has been ““unorthodox” in many ways. Speaking about his rooted, middle-class upbringing devoid of familial ties to the industry, Vaidya says he was “blessed with music”. Reminiscing humming tunes as a child, the singer shares, “Main chotta sa tha jab mai Chitrahaar ka gaana gungunaane laga and mom noticed, but no one took it seriously at that time.” But, when 9-year-old Vaidya moved to Mumbai with his family a local teacher he reveals noticed his talent and advised him to get formal training. “I used to sing jingles for ads and brands as a child artist,” the 36-year-old shares.

His pivotal moment, however, arrived unexpectedly during his college years when fate intervened in the form of Indian Idol. “Suddenly in 2004 on my birthday, a truck passed by which read Indian Idol, and no one knew about it at that time,” he recalls vividly. Encouraged by friends, he took the plunge and auditioned, unaware of the show’s magnitude. “There was Sonu ji, Anu Malik sir, and Farah ma’am sitting there as judges, tab mujhe laga yeh toh kuch bada hai. I sang and everyone was very happy,” he recounts, describing how this opportunity reshaped his life within the span of a few months.

Also Read: Rahul Vaidya experiences an emotional outburst: Successful people are unhappy

From that whirlwind beginning, Rahul found himself catapulted into the limelight. “Meri zindagi in those six months, from October to March, bilkul badal gayi. I was a popular name and before I could realise anything, I was being called to shows and I started working vigorously,” he shares.

“My very first show was in Delhi, hence this place is very special for me. It was a very big deal for me to even stay at a five star hotel and eat whatever I want. It has been 20 years now, and abhi tak life kaise kati hai, mujhe khud bhi realise nahi hua. When you are doing something you love, you don’t realise when the years pass by. I am enjoying doing what I do, and it is a blessing to do something you love as a profession,” he adds.

Despite his initial fame through reality television, Rahul reveals not being able to crack the Bollywood route. He, however, did carve a niche for himself as an independent artist. Speaking about it, Vaidya tells us, “Aisa nahi hai ki route liya nahi, that sounds convenient, route mila hi nahi. Music directors and Bollywood fraternity work differently and there are a lot of insecurities. People want to give you a chance only if you are either very poor or if there’s pressure from the producer to do a favour and they say ki ‘yehi gaana gaayega’. Unfortunately, I couldn’t crack that thing.” he says candidly. He continues, “But, I do believe sabka raasta ek nahi hosakta. Everyone doesn’t get popular by singing songs in films. It was written in my life that I should do my singles, TV appearances, my shows, and I should be known for doing some beautiful songs.”

Vaidya reveals he has drawn inspiration from legendary artists like Sonu Nigam and Mohammad Rafi and shaped his own distinctive style and musical path. “I have learnt a lot from Sonu Nigam ji virtually. When I was a teenager, he was in his prime time, he still is regarded as one of the biggest superstars. I was inspired by him. Rafi sahab, Kishore Da, in sabse sunkar bahut gaane seekhe hain,” he acknowledges gratefully. “I firmly believe in destiny and I think God wrote this for me. Main apni ek alag race mein daud raha hu,” he asserts confidently.

As he looks forward, Rahul encourages aspiring singers to stay true to their artistic vision. “For any budding singer, I just want to say ‘chase your dreams, aapko apne style ke liye pasand kiya jaayega’. You can be inspired but create your own music,” he concludes.