Aman Trikha: Hard Kaur and I got on like a house on fire

On cloud nine with his latest hit, Ashiq Mijaaz from The Shaukeens, Aman Trikha spoke to Ranchi Times about his career and things yet to come. Excerpts:
How did your musical journey began?
My family is from Delhi but I was born and brought up in Mumbai. It was in 2005 when I discovered that I can actually sing. I distinctly remember that it was on our Freshers' Day party - during the first year of my graduation - when my seniors asked me to sing.The moment I finished, I was greeted with a huge round of applause. After that, I started participating in various inter college competitions and even won quite a few. After completing my engineering, I decided to take up singing on a professional level.
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Was your family okay with you opting for singing as a career?
Initially, my family was apprehensive as we had absolutely no connection in the music industry. We had our share of arguments at home, considering the risk I was taking with my career. But then, they also had faith in me as they knew well of my competitive mindset. Once they were convinced that this is what I wanted, my family was fine with it.
Your big break came after Sur Kshetra, a music reality show on TV. How do you think the formats of reality shows have changed since then?
I don’t know about the rest. But my experience of Sur Kshetra was very enriching. It was intimidating to see heavyweights like Abida Parveen, Ismail Darbar sitting in front of you and evaluating every note, every word of your song. The effect was profound, so much so that I still visualize them like they are sitting in front of me even when I’m recording a song in studio so that the same zeal to excel remains. The format has gone under a sea change since then as people want something different every time. So now you're having shows like Coke Studio or India’s Raw Stars, which is good for a variety.
Most of the songs you sang for Akshay Kumar have been hits. Do you think Akshay is lucky for you?
He has been very lucky for me right from OMG - Oh My God! Akshay wanted to sing Go Go Govinda himself, but when he heard my voice, he asked me to sing. It was because of him that I got my first chartbuster. I have sang many songs for him since then but Go Go Govinda remains Akshay’s favourite.
Your latest, Aashiq Mijaaz is the first song composed by Hard Kaur. How did you bag the song?
I and Hard Kaur had met a year back at an award function. When she found that I was the one who had sung Hookah Bar, she was impressed. She called me over to her studio where we recorded a few lines. That was it. One fine day, after about a year ago, I received a call from her. She asked me to record the song. Since we both are Punjabis, we bonded really well and got on like a house on fire.
What else is in pipeline?
There's this one song from an upcoming film, shot in and around Taj Mahal, which I hope people will appreciate. Also, there are a few more projects lined up next year.
Have you been to Jharkhand before?
I have relatives from my mother's side living in Bokaro. So I keep visiting the place.
LISTEN: Songs of Aman Trikha on Gaana.com
WATCH: Aman Trikha with his soulful performance on the stage of #MT20Jubilee