Anup Jalota on why he chooses to hang out with GenZ, bhajan clubbing, and singing at Asha Bhosle’s funeral: ‘Just three months ago, she cooked kebabs for me’

What many don’t know, however, is that Jalota has been expanding his work beyond bhajans, venturing into films and television as well. He was also a part of Bigg Boss Season 12, revealing a surprisingly fun and playful side to his personality.

We recently caught up with the artiste at tabla maestro Pandit Shri Chatur Lal ji’s 100th birth anniversary celebration, presented by the Pandit Chatur Lal Memorial Society in collaboration with Delhi Tourism, for a candid chat about the evolving face of bhajans and Gen Z’s take on devotional music to his iconic baithaks and the secret behind his youthful energy. Read the edited excerpts below:

Renowned Indian percussionist Anandan Sivamani and Padma Shree Awardee Anup Jalota performing at Pandit Chatur Lal’s 100th birth anniversary at Safdarjung Tomb

Q. Would you like to begin the interview with a few words about Pandit Shri Chaturlal Ji?

Anup Jalota: It’s a very, very special celebration. Pandit Chaturlal Ji created a huge space and fan following for the tabla, for rhythm, and for himself worldwide. I’m so happy that his family is maintaining this tradition and organising such concerts where I get the opportunity to perform. I’m truly glad to be here today.

Q. You’ve been a performance icon for years, sir, and your bhajans continue to trend. Speaking of that, Gen Z has started giving bhajans a modern twist—imagine a disco setting with Aisi Lagi Lagan playing! Bhajan clubbing is all the rage nowadays. Would you ever consider organising something like that?

Anup Jalota: Surely! (smiles) It’s all devotional music, all spiritual music – the kind of music which makes one purer. Bhajan singing is a very noble form of expression. And as you said, the younger generation is already embracing it in new ways, so I’d definitely like to explore that.

Q. The face of bhajans has certainly evolved – there’s even bhajan raps now. What do you think of this changing style?

Anup Jalota: Change is natural and necessary. Just like our clothes change every year—jeans, kurtas, everything—so does music. But the core value of music, its ability to entertain and connect, remains the same. We try to never spoil it. Any new style you present, you (should) make it a point that people are going to enjoy more than before. Even tonight, we’re going to present something different.

Q: We are really looking forward to that, Anup ji! You also frequently post about “baithaks” on your social media accounts. While our generation is rediscovering them as a new way of socialising, you’ve been doing them for years. What makes them special?

Anup Jalota: Baithaks are very important. So many artists come together informally and just sing from the heart. All my baithaks you enjoy on social media are presented by Apurva. She is my social media person. She does my concerts, events and all that.

Sometimes you’ll see Sonu Nigam, Talat Aziz, and others drop in. We don’t ask somebody to just come and sing. They pick up the harmonium themselves and say let me sing one song. It shows that in music, there is no ego—only friendship and joy.

Anup Jalota says that he is open to the idea of organing a bhajan clubbing event and may announce something similar soon (Image: Express Archive Photo)

Q. That sounds magical. You’ve been singing for decades—how do you take care of your voice?

Anup Jalota: (laughs) See, there are a few things I love eating – one is pickle and the second is ice cream. These don’t really spoil your voice. You might feel slight irritation in the voice for a while, but that’s it. But if you are smoking, having gutka or using hookah, that is bad for your voice because the smoke directly affects the vocal cords. So avoid those, and enjoy everything else that god has made.

Q. Recently, the music world suffered a huge loss with the passing of singing legend Asha Bhosle. You and a couple of other singers decided to give her soul a very beautiful, melodious goodbye. Would you like to share something about that?

Anup Jalota: Yes, I sang at her funeral. Just three months before that, I was with Asha ji at her home, and she cooked kebabs for me herself, and she was fine. At 92, she was active, walking around, showing us her house. But suddenly, a few days ago, she got a chest infection, and she passed away from that. It was very sudden.

But she has created a university. Any aspiring playback female singer, must go through that university of Asha Bhosle, university of Lata Mangeshkar. There is no other way because they sang perfectly. Anybody who wants to become a singer must check (their journey, musical legacy). I am glad that they have done so much work in their lifetime, which is (usually) not possible for one person to achieve.

Playback singer Lata Mangeshkar presenting the Gold Disc to Anup Jalota on behalf of music India limited (Express Archive Photo)

Q. We can’t help but notice that you’re incredibly energetic and full of youthful energy even today. What’s your secret?

Anup Jalota: (laughs) The secret is to stay around and meet more and more young people. They think fresh, and they are very creative. If I am 72 and I am only spending time with people in their 70s and 80s, (the conversations would look like) “Arrey yaar, hogaya yaar. retire wetire hote hai ” Sab gadbad ho jayega! So I try to spend my music time – my riyaz, my concerts, my moving around – with the people who are young, youthful and who think creatively.

Q. Do you keep up with Gen Z trends and slang as well?

Anup Jalota: (laughs) Yes, yes! I’m actually planning concerts with that kind of vibe. Very soon, you’ll hear those – something like bhajan clubbing on a larger scale—even a whole India tour.

Singer Anup Jalota in tv programme HUM TARA RUM (Express Archive)

Q. That sounds exciting! With all that energy, do you have a dream vacation?

Anup Jalota: My house. I tell you, the best vacation place—the best place in the world—is my house. I sit there, I sing, and my friends come over and they all sing too. They often say, “What a place, yaar. We don’t feel like stopping singing here because it’s so beautiful.” I have a seaside house, and you can see the sealink right in front. You get so much energy there.

Q. Before we wrap up, do you have a message for Gen Z?

Anup Jalota: (gestures around) Just look at the young people standing here, just see their age —that’s the inspiration. My aim is to create music that connects with every age group—not just people who are in their 50s, 30s, or even 20s. I see even 12–13-year-old kids learning and singing my songs. That’s what matters. My purpose is to reach every age group and give them good, meaningful, healthy entertainment.