TAHSAN opens up about career, future plans

Tahsan Khan is inarguably one of the most successful personalities in the entertainment industry today. The supremely popular singer has kept reinventing himself over the years, outgrowing his rockstar persona to become a true juggernaut in both the music and television industries. Ahead of the release of his full-length feature film, Jodi Ekdin, the artiste extraordinaire opens up about his recent projects, thoughts on the current industry, and more.

You're scarcely seen on television these days. What has kept you occupied?

 I have recently been concentrating on my upcoming film, Jodi Ekdin. It is a lot of hard work, and I thus had to take time off television. The film is in its editing phase, and will hopefully be released in February next year. I've also been working on a few musical projects, the song Keno Ke Jane being the latest. I also sang a song for Adit recently, for which the music video will be shot at Sri Lanka.

You're one of the most commercially successful artistes of this generation. However, a lot of people who prefer your old music critique your current work, and consider them to be too 'mainstream'. What do you have to say about that?

Honestly, this is a very tricky ground to tread on. If I kept singing for a niche audience forever, I would not be able to sustain my musical career in the way I have done now. I did not want to be a washed-up artiste with one or two years of spotlight, eventually to fade away in the background. That being said, I still stick to my musical roots. I am working on a full-length original piano album, Showers of Happiness. The name stems from an instrumental track that I did in my first album, Kothapokothon. Even though I can tell that it would not be commercially successful, I expect it to be my seminal work. I try to balance my work in this manner.

How do you balance being an academician, singer and actor so seamlessly?

I take it a year at a time, and set target for myself. For example, this year, I dedicated myself to my upcoming film and music, so did not teach for some time. When I had dedicated myself to teaching, my contributions were more sporadic in music. I plan out a calendar year, and move according to that.

What are your future goals in the industry?

I have always wanted to make this profession a respectable one. People used to frown on music as a means of earning money. Recently, I was declared the highest tax-paying musician in the country this year, and I see this as a big positive for us all. And like any musician, I want my work to live on among the hearts of the audience.