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Exclusive Interview: Rochak Kohli On His Journey From RJ To Music Composer And His New Song Tu Muskuraye
Rochak
Kohli’s
recent
song
‘Tu
Muskuraye
–
World
Kindness
Anthem’
is
dedicated
to
those
who’ve
helped
selflessly
during
the
COVID-19
pandemic.
From
delivering
a
hit
song
like
‘Pani
Da
Rang’
from
Vicky
Donor
to
‘Tu
Muskuraye’,
the
singer-composer
has
definitely
come
a
long
way.
Talking
exclusively
to
Filmibeat,
Rochak
Kohli
shares
his
journey
from
being
a
radio
jockey
(RJ)
to
a
music
composer,
his
struggles
in
the
music
industry,
and
much
more.
Talking
about
his
idol
AR
Rahman,
Rochak
says,
“I
guess
it’s
because
of
him
I’m
doing
music
today.
I
used
to
be
in
school
when
I
first
encountered
the
music
of
the
film
Roja.
I
spent
a
lot
of
days
and
nights
understanding
Rahman
sir’s
music
and
the
purity
in
his
songs.
I
really
wish
to
achieve
that
kind
of
purity
and
sense
in
my
music
as
well
someday.”
Excerpts
from
the
interview:
Q.
What
is
your
new
song
‘Tu
Muskuraye
–
World
Kindness
Anthem’
all
about?
A.
It
is
a
song
called
‘Tu
Muskuraye’
–
this
was
just
out
a
few
days
ago.
It
is
a
song
on
kindness
and
humanity,
about
love
not
for
one
but
for
all.
It
makes
you
think
that
even
if
throughout
the
day
I
do
one
act
of
kindness,
I’m
home.
It
also
describes
the
joy
of
doing
acts
of
kindness,
so
I
featured
some
acts
of
kindness
from
across
the
world
in
this
video.
It
was
really
heartwarming
to
see
how
selflessly
people
are
doing
work
outside
their
own
realm
and
helping
people
they
don’t
even
know.
I’ve
collaborated
with
Humble
the
Poet
who
is
a
Canadian
artist;
he
is
a
rapper
and
Gurpreet
has
written
this
song.
The
main
peg
of
this
video
is
that
all
proceeds
and
revenue
that
we
collect
from
YouTube
and
other
sources
goes
to
an
NGO
called
Khalsa
Aid.
The
NGO
does
COVID
and
other
relief
work,
not
only
in
India
but
across
the
world.
So,
I
had
a
certain
amount
of
money
that
I
wanted
to
donate
to
charity
and
I
thought,
why
shouldn’t
I
do
it
as
an
artist?
Why
shouldn’t
I
make
a
song
of
this
money
and
let
this
song
reach
out
to
as
many
people
as
I
can
and
let
them
be
a
part
of
this
charity.
So
every
time
any
person
views
this
song
on
YouTube,
they
are
donating,
as
5
paisa
is
generated
from
YouTube
and
that
5
paisa
per
view
goes
to
Khalsa
Aid.
We
are
hoping
to
collect
a
good
amount
of
money
for
the
charity,
for
the
fundraiser
and
that’s
why
we
are
requesting
people
to
view
and
share
this
song
as
much
as
they
can.
The
charity
is
one
part
of
it
but
the
greater
part
is
that
it
has
to
reach
out
to
people
and
get
that
spark
of
kindness
going
after
viewing
this
video.
WATCH:
Exclusive
Interview
–
Sugandha
Mishra
Q.
How
was
it
collaborating
with
Humble
the
Poet
for
the
song?
A.
Humble
the
Poet
is
a
rapper,
he
is
an
artist
who
stays
in
Canada.
I
was
fond
of
his
work
earlier
and
approached
him
for
this
song.
He
heard
the
idea
and
was
very
excited.
He
not
only
did
the
verse
in
the
song
but
was
kind
enough
to
shoot
his
portion
of
the
video
for
us,
which
really
added
a
lot
of
value
to
the
video.
More
than
that,
I
think
he
is
very
humanistic
in
his
approach
and
all
his
posts
on
social
media
talk
about
humanity
and
kindness.
It
couldn’t
have
been
a
better
collaboration.
I’m
really
really
grateful
and
glad
we
could
both
pull
this
off
together.
Also,
Gurpreet
is
a
big
part
of
this
song;
he
has
written
the
Hindi
lyrics.
One
can
easily
write
a
love
song
or
a
heartbreak
song
like
what
is
going
on
these
days,
but
to
get
into
the
thought
and
make
a
song
that
is
not
preachy
but
also
to
tell
what
you
want
to
tell
and
speak
out
your
heart
is
very
difficult.
So,
kudos
to
Gurpreet,
too.
Asha
Q.
Did
the
pandemic
change
something
in
you
or
make
you
more
kind?
Your
thoughts
on
or
your
meaning
of
‘Kindness’.
A.
Yes,
of
course.
The
pandemic
has
changed
a
lot
of
things
in
a
lot
of
us.
It’s
really
made
me
reflect
on
the
meaning
of
my
life.
It
made
me
feel
very
small
in
front
of
the
universe.
And
the
meaning
of
real
kindness,
it
came
to
me
through
this
pandemic.
Of
course,
I
wanted
to
do
something
of
value,
creating
through
my
art
but
due
to
the
pandemic
it
happened
very
soon
and
the
reason
why
I
could
pull
off
this
project
‘Tu
Muskuraye’ us
because
I
was
so
moved
by
seeing
people
suffering
–
my
dear
ones,
my
friends
and
people
who
are
not
known
to
me.
I
donated
plasma,
went
to
the
hospital
and
saw
people
just
fainting
there
due
to
non-availability
of
beds,
and
there
were
a
lot
of
other
cases
as
well
all
through
the
news.
We
were
daily
seeing
a
lot
of
things.
One
way
is
just
to
close
your
eyes
and
say
that
‘OK,
this
will
pass’,
and
the
other
way
is
to
be
there
and
do
whatever
you
can.
Pulling
off
this
song
was
also
something
that
was
springboarded
by
this
pandemic.
‘Kindness’
for
me
is
making
somebody
smile,
a
person
who
you
know
or
do
not
know.
I
think
that
makes
my
day.
Q.
You
made
your
musical
debut
in
Bollywood
with
the
popular
song
‘Pani
Da
Rang’
from
Vicky
Donor
in
2012.
How
have
these
nine
years
been
in
the
music
industry?
How
do
you
see
your
struggle?
A.
I
am
really
fortunate
to
have
a
song
like
‘Pani
Da
Rang’
as
my
debut.
It
just
set
the
premise
right.
My
journey
until
now
has
been
full
of
ups
and
downs,
but
music
is
something
that
I
really
want
to
do
till
the
end
of
my
life.
That’s
for
sure.
This
journey
has
really
given
me
the
confidence
that
I
could
pull
this
off
for
a
long,
long
time.
I
struggle
daily;
struggle
for
different
people
is
different.
For
me,
the
struggle
in
my
musical
career
is
choosing
the
right
song
and
getting
the
correct
lyrics
on
that
and
making
a
melody
that
I
love
personally.
My
producers
or
somebody
who
has
given
me
the
job,
them
loving
it,
fulfilling
that
is
also
a
struggle.
Jab
tak
saamne
wala
khush
nahi
hota
hai
aache
se…I
can’t
really
sleep
properly
and
I
keep
looking
for
these
challenges
because
whenever
I
think
music
is
easy
for
me,
it
sets
a
tone
of
monotony.
I
do
not
like
monotony,
so
that’s
also
a
challenge.
I
look
for
songs
in
which
I
have
to
challenge
my
limits
and
make
something
new
and
give
something
new
to
the
world.
Exclusive
Q.
You
come
from
a
family
of
lawyers.
How
did
music
happen
to
you?
A.
I
come
from
a
family
of
lawyers
and
I
am
a
lawyer
myself.
I
had
just
started
practicing
in
2006,
when
a
private
FM
radio
station
came
to
my
city
and
did
some
auditions.
I
slyly
gave
an
audition
and
I
was
selected,
then
I
told
my
parents,
‘Abhi
court
ki
chhuttiyaan
hain‘.
There
were
some
holidays
in
the
High
Court
and
I
told
them
I
wanted
to
try
this
job
as
an
intern,
so
they
didn’t
mind
it
and
I
was
selected
as
an
RJ
(radio
jockey).
I
was
doing
the
show,
and
also
cleaning
the
floors,
doing
the
sales
pitches
and
representing
my
company.
We
were
just
a
team
of
five
people
at
that
time
and
we
had
to
set
up
an
entire
radio
station.
The
media
really
struck
a
good
chord
with
me
and
the
ultimate
goal
was
to
do
music
because
I
had
done
a
lot
of
music
and
theatre
in
my
college.
I
come
from
DAV
College,
Chandigarh.
We
would
win
in
all
these
festivals
at
IIT
Bombay
and
BITS
Pilani,
etc.
in
theatre
and
music.
So
that
keeda
was
inside
and
I
had
thought
that
OK,
even
if
I
become
a
lawyer,
probably
after
20
years
I
would
take
a
break
or
a
sabbatical
and
I’ll
definitely
try
music.
But
it
happened
very
soon
and
this
radio
job,
I
really
started
getting
fond
of
it
and
they
gave
me
a
permanent
job
with
a
very
handsome
salary!
I
had
to
quit
my
law
career
for
that
and
ventured
full-time
into
radio.
WATCH:
Exclusive
Interview
–
Singer
Mamta
Sharma
Then
from
Chandigarh,
I
came
to
Delhi
and
from
Delhi
to
Mumbai.
And
here
‘Pani
Da
Rang’
happened…my
first
song.
At
that
time
also
I
was
working
in
Mumbai
in
the
same
radio
station.
After
‘Pani
Da
Rang’,
I
was
working
under
a
contract
and
couldn’t
do
many
songs.
A
lot
of
songs
were
offered
to
me
after
‘Pani
Da
Rang’
but
I
couldn’t
do
it.
I
had
to
quit
the
job
in
2013
after
which
I
started
my
own
studio.
Also
the
reason
was,
I
didn’t
know
how
to
make
music
at
that
time.
‘Pani
Da
Rang’
happened
because
it
was
a
song
which
we
made
in
college
and
we
just
had
to
put
some
guitars
and
some
basic
beats
into
it
and
we
didn’t
know
the
song
would
be
such
a
big
success.
So,
I
took
a
break
and
learnt
to
produce
music,
basic
stuff,
and
I
learnt
who
does
what
in
the
industry.
Slowly
and
steadily
I
guess
I
could
figure
out
things
all
by
myself.
Q.
What’s
your
stand
on
re-creating
or
remixing
old
melodies?
A.
I
stand
very
firmly
on
re-creating
because,
I
am
doing
a
lot
of
re-creations
myself.
For
me,
re-creating
an
old
melody
is
a
greater
challenge
than
making
an
original
song.
It
has
the
baggage
of
a
being
superhit
already
and
I
have
to
live
up
to
that
reputation.
There
is
a
loyal
fan
base
for
that
particular
song
that
I
am
catering
to,
so
I
have
to
be
really
careful.
As
far
as
crediting
the
original
makers
of
the
song,
re-creations
have
been
around
the
world
for
a
long
time.
It’s
just
come
to
India
now,
I
think
three
or
four
years
ago.
So
as
long
as
the
trend
is
going
and
as
long
as
the
audience
is
loving
the
re-created
melodies,
we
are
good
to
go.
That
doesn’t
mean
we
just
do
re-creations
because
it
is
giving
more
weight
to
original
music.
EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW:
Grammy
Award
Winner
David
Guetta
On
Life
In
Music
And
The
Pandemic
For
example,
among
10
re-creations,
an
original
melody
comes,
it
really
shines
bright.
So,
it’s
a
very
hard
competition
or
to
say
it’s
a
very
tough
challenge
for
all
of
us
to
create
better
melodies,
be
it
original
melodies
or
re-creations.
Also
because
of
the
Internet
spread,
anybody
can
create
any
melody
sitting
from
any
corner
of
the
world,
so
you
don’t
really
need
to
be
in
Mumbai,
you
don’t
need
to
know
some
set
of
people
to
now
create
music
or
to
create
a
hit
song.
So,
I
don’t
think
re-creation
is
a
problem
as
long
as
it’s
done
properly.
Q.
Who
are
your
favourite
composers
and
singers?
Who
do
you
idolise?
A.
My
all-time
favourite
composer
and
singer
is
AR
Rahman
sir.
I
guess
it’s
because
of
him
I’m
doing
music
today.
I
used
to
be
in
school
when
I
first
encountered
the
music
of
the
film
Roja.
I
was
listening
to
it
for
days
together
and
my
friends
used
to
think
that
I
freaked
out
and
was
tripping
on
one
album.
So,
album
after
album,
I
spent
a
lot
of
days
and
nights
understanding
Rahman
sir’s
music
and
the
purity
in
his
songs.
I
really
wish
to
achieve
that
kind
of
purity
and
sense
in
my
music
as
well
someday.
Rahman
sir
is
an
idol.
And,
of
course,
the
veterans
like
SD
Burman
and
RD
Burman
–
I
really
loved
to
listen
to
their
tracks.
The
beauty
of
their
melodies
is
just
impeccable.
AR
Rahman
Collaborates
With
Legendary
Gulzar
For
‘Meri
Pukaar
Suno,’
Take
A
Look
At
The
Teaser!
A
lot
of
other
music
composers
that
are
contemporary,
my
contemporaries
working
today
with
me,
and
Amit
Trivedi
who
is
a
senior,
I
really
admire
their
work.
All
these
singers
who
are
also
composers,
like
Darshan
Rawal
and
Jubin
Nautiyal,
they
are
young,
talented
guys.
And
Lisa
Mishra,
Asees
Kaur,
Shreya
Ghoshal,
Sunidhi
Chauhan,
of
course,
are
gems
themselves.
Arijit
Singh
is
my
all-time
favourite
because
he
also
puts
in
a
pure
heart
into
his
songs.
I
am
also
very
open
to
new
artists
–
I
do
not
hesitate
in
following
somebody
on
Instagram
who
I
think
I
am
fond
of.
Chahe
ke
woh
koi
naya
baacha
ho
yah
purana
insaan
ho,
I
put
all
my
ego
aside
and
follow
that
person
just
for
pure
art,
love
for
the
art
and
the
love
of
their
talent.
It’s
a
good
time
for
composers,
singers
and
lyricists
because
there
is
a
lot
of
work
out
there.
There
is
a
lot
of
audience
for
songs
and
that’s
why
all
types
of
songs
are
working.
So
yeah,
cheers
to
that.
