Who doesn’t want to sing for Hindi films? But now is a bad time: Ali Sethi

The singer also shared the trick to successfully cover songs without taking away from them

Singer Ali Sethi who rose to fame thanks to his personal take on classics and stellar vocals has been mesmerising fans on both sides of the border.

In a recent interview, Ali, who has been interacting with fans over Instagram Lives during the Covid-19 lockdown, talked about his earliest memories of music and his aspirations. He also expressed a desire to work across the border.

When asked if he would like to work with any Indian composer or singer, Ali was quoted by The Indian Express as saying, "I love the musical sensibility of Vishal Bhardwaj. I also like Rochak Kohli’s recent work. Who doesn’t want to sing for Hindi films? But now is apparently a bad time."

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Ali Sethi responds to criticism over his collaboration with Indian artists

Ali also expressed shock at how large his following in India is. "I am always surprised, delighted, chuffed and gobsmacked to see, hear and read the responses of Indian fans. It’s amazing to me because I have never really performed in India with a full band," he said.

"Of course, one day I would love to, when peace, love and sanity prevails across our borders," he added.

Ali also commented on how doing covers can work - he is known for his covers of various classical songs, and recently also came under fire for the same.

"I think the biggest problem nowadays is ignorance. Singers and producers who sit down to do a remake of an old song have little or no acquaintance of its underlying principles. I think this applies especially to covers of classic songs that are built on raags and taals," he explained, showing that he has a deep understanding of what he does.

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"You can’t really be innovative with those songs because they are rule-bound – the rhythmic and melodic parameters have already been laid out. You can improvise within that framework – and this can be very exciting for a singer – but you must be initiated into the context," he said.

Ali first burst onto the scene with his rendition of Farida Khanum’s Dil Jalane Ki Baat in Mira Nair's, The Reluctant Fundamentalist. From there on, he became a star in his own regard thanks to his stints on Coke Studio and other releases.

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