People still don’t believe that I’ve sung Zardozi Lamhe: Moin Sabri

For someone who does a lot of hairstyling for films, Moin Sabri doesn’t fit the usual mould of a singer. The road he took to getting where he is today may be the less trod one, but it did lead him to a good place. We caught up with the young man to discuss Zardozi Lamhe, his Bollywood singing debut and to find out what makes him tick.
You obviously have a musical background... I do. I belong to a family of qawwaals known as the Sabri Brothers, from the Kirana gharana. With an entire generation of singers behind me, I grew up in a household where riyaz wasn’t merely a compulsion, but a ritual. I come from the Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh and like everyone there, I too was star-struck by the Hindi film industry. I wanted to be a part of it, but not as an actor. I chose a different skill: hairstyling. My parents were slightly confused, but they let me do what I wanted.
ALSO READ: We sing for the audience: Sabri Brothers
Have you been styling hair long? For a few years now. I started off by styling Sarah Jane Dias’ hair in Game, Diana Penty’s hair in Cocktail, followed by films like Satya 2 and many others. I have also worked with Salim-Sulaiman and Sonu Nigam on their singles and for a lot of commercials.
How did Zardozi Lamhe come your way? I was doing hairstyling for a film of music director Sanjeev Srivastava [Revolver Rani], and he heard me humming. He thought my voice was apt for this song and he told me to sing the first scratch. After two months, I was called back to sing the entire song and they really liked my work.
When you realised the film it was, what was your reaction? When I chose hairstyling, I was slightly scared if I was doing the right thing. I always wanted to sing some day. However, opportunity knocked after a long time. Facing the mic for my first Bollywood song was a mixed feeling. I was excited and scared too, since it was a very big responsibility. I am grateful to director Sai Kabir and to Sanjeev and to Sajid-Wajidji for their encouragement. Moreover, It was a very soulful song in a Sufi style, which is in my comfort zone. In fact, when the video was launched on a video-sharing website, my parents thought I was joking. But, when they heard it, they were very happy and appreciated my work. A lot of people from the industry, too, appreciated the effort. However. there are a few people who still don’t believe that I have sung Zardozi Lamhe.
Listen to the song Zardozi Lamhe on gaana.com
Any new work? I have been approached for more work, from the Punjabi film industry, and I’m hoping for it to work out and I will be able to realise my dream very soon.
Will you still continue to do hairstyling if you find success as a playback singer? Hairstyling is my first passion, and so, I would like to continue it, but would keep doing it for some special people.
With a lot of experienced people still active, the industry is now opening up new talent. How do you feel about it? There are a lot of young singers in the industry, and the scenario has undergone a change where young and new talents are getting an equal opportunity. They recognise our efforts and also appreciate it.
WATCH: Revolver Rani Full Songs