A Band of Boys reunion, that bitter break-up and music in the era of social media: Karan Oberoi’s tell-all interview

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During the Instagram-fuelled nostalgia, Karan Oberoi spoke to indianexpress.com about the Band of Boys reunion. The actor-singer shared the band’s journey, shedding light on the camaraderie that fuelled their success.

The actor-singer said, “We’ve been friends for two decades now and it’s something that I don’t know if people are familiar with the idea, even when Sudhanshu (Pandey) left, I cried bitter tears because I was so unhappy.”

Oberoi said Pandey wanted to reunite as he was not part of the second album Gaane Bhi Do Yaaro and his fans fondly remember him from ABOB. “We sort of got together and then we said, we have this final dinner and let’s do this again, for the love of it and for also the fact that Sanju (as Pandey is called fondly) said, ‘look, I’ve not been a part of the second album of the band, but people still remember me from Gori and A Band of Boys’,” Oberoi said.

Reacting to a string of comments on the viral reel, he said, “It’s a beautiful space for an artist to feel so loved, you know, and to exist in people’s minds. I mean, you’d imagine that it’s almost a generation to two decades and still be remembered by people.”

Oberoi shared an anecdote about Gori revealing that there were initial doubts and disagreements among band members. “When it first came out, we weren’t very sure of it. There were disagreements and then we voted for it,” he revealed.

Music can transcend generations, and Oberoi’s anecdote is a testament to it. Speaking about his recent concert tour to Namsai, Digboi, and Dibrugarh, Oberoi said the audience had people in the 20-25 age-group who sang along passionately to A Band Of Boys songs. “We said the song is older than you are. And so one smart girl in the audience said, you know Kishore Kumar songs! I said, yes, was it in your time? So no, that was 20 years before. So songs that have melody and some sort of a vibe about them live on. So these songs will exist even when you don’t exist,” Oberoi shared.

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He highlighted the unique bond that held A Band Of Boys together, even as many bands tend to disband after a certain period of time. “The fact that we knew each other, we bonded with each other and we liked each other really helped the process of keeping it all together. And even when 1 or 2 members left, there was no acrimony,” Oberoi said.

For those who are late to the story, Anupamaa actor Sudhanshu Pandey quit ABOB in 2005 as he needed to settle down for financial stability. On Pandey’s decision to quit, Oberoi shared that as a bachelor without familial obligations, he initially struggled to understand Pandey’s concern. He said, “When you have a family, when you have a child, when you have people who depend on you for support, then the math does come in. I’m a single guy. I stayed by myself with my dog and for me at that time, I couldn’t understand all of this.”

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“But it took years to understand. There are responsibilities people have because of which today we’ve reached a point where everyone’s doing wonderfully well for themselves,” he added.

Social media has, undoubtedly, emerged as a powerful platform for creators and artists to showcase their talent and connect with audiences without relying on a big label. Oberoi reflected on the changing landscape of the music industry in the digital age and said, “Every age throws up things which are unique to that particular era. Social media can be an advantage in terms of connectivity. We had it very tough. We had to make our demos because everything was funded by the music company.”

“Today, I’m not dependent on a music company or a label to decide what I should express, so I reach out to more people… The flip side of that is social media has also created monsters. Everyone’s hankering to be famous. Not to be good. Not everyone, but a lot of them. (For) That instant fame, I do something that is shock and awe,” he noted.

Bollywood music has evolved substantially over the years. While some still live with classic melodies, others live for the new era of music. Speaking on this, Oberoi said he is not happy with the kind of songs the industry is producing in the digital age but artists like Arijit Singh are exceptions.

“The Indian entertainment industry has some dogmas and maybe a fear of failure, which is why they don’t experiment too much with music. So if you look at Pathaan and Fighter they have the same set-up, the same 20 people dancing, one great song, the same production,” he said.

Inspired by The Backstreet Boys and In Sync, A Band of Boys released a myriad of hits, including Gori, Meri Neend, Ishq, and others. It also collaborated with legendary singer Asha Bhosle for Dil Sarphira and released a film Kiss Kisko in 2004.