Singer Benny Dayal, whose songs — Locha E Ulfat in 2 States, title song of the film Bang Bang, Badtameez Dil in Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani and Sardaar Gabbar Singh in Pawan Kalyan’s movie of the same name — are great hits, was in the city for a corporate event.
The singer, who has also composed the title track for the upcoming movie Befikre, is happy with the response the trailer has received. “It was great working with Vishal and Shekhar. The song and the movie are wild,” says Benny, who is based out of Kollam, Kerala.
This B. Com graduate, armed also with a diploma in Journalism, both from Madras Christian College, had worked first as an event co-ordinator, and then at a BPO, before bidding goodbye to a regular job, to pursue music full-time. “I quit the BPO job, three days after joining. I think these things hit you at the right time. Youngsters should pursue what they like. We have one life,” he says.
Benny had sung the chorus for a song in Guru, two years after which, he was given a chance to work with the Academy Award-winner A.R. Rahman. “My inspiration is Michael Jackson,” says Benny, who’s currently working on projects in Tollywood. “I’ve been around Hyderabad. I love the traditional Telugu food, which my friends here cook for me,” he smiles.
He recently married New York-based model, Catherine Thangam, who he had met over Skype. “A mutual friend had introduced us a long time back. We started Skyping each other, and after six months, decided to get married,” he says.
Talking about social media playing an important role in widening opportunities for upcoming singers, he says, “A lot of youngsters upload music on YouTube. Social media is for people who like to enjoy... so if you’re talented, this is a platform for upcoming musicians to become bigger personalities.” His word of advice for them: “Do what makes you happy, or don’t do it at all.” About his quirky fashion sense, he says, “I love wearing hats, jackets and comic prints. I always wanted to stand-out,” he says.
Now, with actors and actresses turning singers, does he consider the trend as a threat? “Competition doesn’t exist for me. Actors and musicians have their dedicated fan communities which doesn’t alter even if either of the two explores activities beyond their comfort zones. Most actors sing today because it’s a great publicity angle, but I’ve never heard of any actor releasing albums consistently. So how would any singer feel threatened?” he asks.
