Move Over, Malkit

 "I am 21, maybe less," he offers in a hopeful tone. Maybe hehasn’t wound his wristwatch in a while. But that’s a pardonable offence,considering the Patna-born vocalist has been a mite busy of late. Bolo Ta Ra Ra, hisPunjabi folk-pop album released last month by Magnasound, sold over one lakh copies in thefirst three weeks. The title song is rubbing shoulders with Bollywood superhits inBPL’s Ek Se Badkar Ek. And now, one Punjabi distributor is even demanding 20,000copies a day.

Magnasound has ambitious plans to promote the artiste. Says Soumitra Maitra, nationalsales manager, Magnasound: "After an India leg of his concert, we plan to showcasethe artiste in Canada and the UK by the end of this year."

Like most groomed in traditional genres, Mehndi’s initiation came early. "Iwas only six when my father gave me a harmonium," he recalls, sitting inside Ad Camp,his recording studio in New Delhi.

 He realised early enough that academics wasn’t up his alley—he droppedout in the sixth standard. "I always wanted to be a well-known musician." Sureenough, he got there. First as a concert artiste with a flair for electrifying showmanshipand now with his run on the charts, where his album is moving faster than his bhangrabeats.

Mehndi’s arrival couldn’t have been timed better. Despite many attempts,Gurdas Mann has failed to recreate the alchemy of Dil da mamla hai.

Malkit Singh’s Tutak tutak act was a bigger success, but a sequel has provedelusive. At a time when Punjabi folk-pop is generating several songs but few megastars,shouldn’t Mehndi’s instant success be viewed as a sign of things to come?

Replies the star: "My first album’s acceptance and theresponse of my listeners whenever I have performed in Punjab has made me happy. Evenoutside the state, the album has done well. But this is just the beginning, probably myfirst step on a scale of hundred." Despite the quiet launch, the album’sexploits recall Malkit Singh’s conquest about a decade ago.

He may be a member of the footstomper’s club now but Mehndi’sbackground in voice-oriented genres ensures that Bolo Ta Ra Ra stands apart forMehndi’s exceptional voice. Explaining his drift to folk-pop, he says: "You see,I did in youth what most do after they are old. When I was singing ghazals, most people myage must have indulged in pop. Perhaps, youth has come to me at the wrong time." The"21, maybe less" musician isn’t old enough to brood over the decline of hisyouth. Yet, most of the time his statements are similarly worded: straightforward,manifesting a likeable absence of familiarity with diplomatic jugglery. So, hisconfessions (apart from the age-fudging) are candid. "Girls are very high on my listof likings," he says. And he admits he dropped ghazals for folk-pop "becausethat kind of music is more enjoyable, and since any form of music is music anyway."

Perhaps, it’s this innocence that has landed him in a controversy. On the inlaycard of his album he dons a khanda kirpan insignia on his turban. Magnasound has receivedan anonymous letter asking them to drop the insignia, pronto. Says Mehndi: "Thekhanda kirpan was worn by all those who came to the court during Maharaja RanjitSingh’s rule. No one has worn it recently but there is certainly nothing wrong withits use." As a precaution, however, Magnasound has decided to alter the card afterthe current stocks are over.

While the act could have been orchestrated by religious fanatics, Magnasound alsosuspects the hand of a rival—a ploy to ensure that the stocks are withdrawn. Mehndiagrees: "Some music company or artiste might have done it...it is difficult to acceptthat a nobody from nowhere has become a somebody so fast." That’s the buzzwordin Mehndi’s universe. Whatever happens to him happens fast. If the controversy endsthe same way, the young pop musician probably won’t lose time before taking a soundsecond step.