He was one of the undisputed kings of Bangla rock in the 2000's when he was the frontman for Black. When he left the band to make Indalo, he took on an entirely new genre of music. Having also left his mark on television as an actor, he is now knee-deep into the world of podcasts, where "I started a Podcast" is one of the most enticing shows on Youtube. Star Showbiz has a heart-to-heart with Jon Kabir.

It was surprising when you decided to start a podcast, but it is now in its fourth season. What was the biggest realisation from it?

The season just finished, and I will say that the perspectives from different artistes really helped me see things their way. For example, I was always more-or-less invested towards a child-free life, but listening to a guest talk about their children with so much love, made me think, "hey, having a child might not be as bad!".

Nevertheless, I don't have a 'human' child, but I do have a daughter, whose name is May. I love her to bits. 

Besides being a successful musician, you also saw success on the television screen. Why did you leave that world?

To be honest, I was tired of doing and being offered the same cliched roles. It has been 7 years since I haven't acted, and I do not plan to get back unless I am offered an intriguing role, preferably a cameo that makes a lasting impact. I do not want to play central characters anymore.

Is Indalo working on its second album?

Yes! In fact, we had finished the songs during the pandemic. However, as time went on, they started to sound 'old' and we started recording again! We all really enjoyed that creative process, and are really fond of what we could produce. 

Is a Black reunion with you ever possible?

I will be brutally honest on this one, if I ever do it, it will be just for the money and nothing else. A lot of corporates have asked me this and I have told them the same thing.

What can a musician do to stand out, in the age of social media?

The term 'musician' holds a lot of sacrifice for me. You have to drown out the noise, and keep doing what you are passionate about. You cannot get discouraged by the fact that you may not be reaching a lot of people, because if you're making music, you are, in fact, reaching the right people for you. To sum it up, patience, determination and consistency are keys.

Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed/Star

What do you want to be remembered as?
More than anything, I want to be remembered as someone who loved music.