Goa feels like Jalandhar, as the DJ at Britto’s is playing Mika’s hits at full blast. All the Punjabis in the vicinity are grooving to them and making pappi and jhappi visits to our table. Mika accepts each handshake, each hug. “I’m what I am today because of my fans,” he says and continues, “I can’t be rude to them.”
Mika is in Goa because he’s shooting for his first Hindi film as an actor, Balwinder Singh... Famous Ho Gaya. Directed by Sunil Agnihotri, the film stars Shaan (singer) and a dishy Brazilian model, Gabriela. The singer is excited about turning ‘hero’. The failed attempts of Himesh Reshammiya and Sonu Niigaam, who couldn’t make the transition from singers to actors haven’t dampened his enthusiasm. “Offers to act have been coming my way for several years but I kept turning them down. Firstly, I make as much as an established star through my shows (he reportedly charges Rs 40 lakh per show) and secondly, I’m not acting as my character is close to what I am in real life.”
He also agreed to do the film because Shaan, his ‘bro’, too had consented to be a part of it. Mika, who doesn’t mince words and is known to offer his biting views about other singers, has developed a sudden liking for Shaan. He says this mutual admiration club has nothing to do with the film’s publicity. “Shaan and I have done shows together in the past. Like me, he has a unique voice. No one can copy me and likewise, no one can copy him because you’ll be caught as we both have a unique voice texture.”
Like his elder brother, singer Daler Mehndi, Mika too has learned classical music and has a working knowledge of several instruments. Guitar is his passion but we never see that side of Mika. Why can’t he deviate from singing item songs for once? Mika retorts that it’s much harder to sing item songs than regular romantic numbers. “Kishore Kumar is my idol. He’s known for his naughty songs and sang them with a lot of masti. A song like Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si is popular even today. You have to infuse a lot of fun in your voice to achieve that. You have to sing from your heart and shouldn’t care even if you break the rules.” According to him, Daler, Mohit Chouhan and he are three current singers who have managed to bring out the soul of their song. “Our appeal lies in our voice texture. We mould it according to the mood of the song. That’s more important than being a technical singer.”
We ask him whether Daler Mehndi would be making a guest appearance in the film. He says there are no such plans so far but it’s a damn good idea. “Daler paaji has contributed a great deal towards my success. I’d be happy to share screen time with him.” He says his brother has taught him ‘everything’. “The one big thing he’s taught me is that I should have a unique identity. That’s why I’m not called Mika Mehndi. And I don’t dress like him.” He says his brother was the highest paid singer at one time. “He charged Rs 2 crore for a Coke ad 10 years ago. He was charging 20 lakhs per show back then. He took 80 lakhs for the Tunuk tunuk tun song. I aspired for that kind of popularity. He achieved that by being unique and, more importantly, by marketing himself uniquely. He knows how to brand himself and I’ve taken his marketing lessons to heart.”
What about other controversies that he’s always surrounded with? Should we surmise that they are a part of his marketing campaign? Like his infamous lip lock with Rakhi Sawant for instance, which still gets written about? “Unlike others, I don’t need to cook up controversies to be in the news,” he retorts. He says controversies just happen to him by chance. “I’m a controversy magnet. Controversies come and go but they haven’t dimmed my fan-following. I may have a bad-boy image but my fans know I’m a good guy at heart.” Expounding on it, he comments that he wouldn’t have excelled in the live stage show business if people believed he was a bad boy. “Look at someone like Shakti Kapoor or Aman Verma. They have sort of faded away. They are out, gone. But that isn’t so in my case.”
He says the wedding market wasn’t easy to crack into. “Shah Rukh Khan performs at weddings and hence everyone else has to up their act. I’m more on my toes at weddings than my other shows. Weddings are special. You become a part of someone’s memory for the rest of their lives. Hence, I have to deliver something unique at such events.”
The wedding singer has been involved with many women and going by his past record, he looks to be the perpetual bachelor type. Mika asserts he will definitely get married. His choice of a life-partner would be a seedhi saadi Punjabi kudi, who’d be patient enough to live with an artiste and deal with the eccentricities and controversies that come with the package.
Mika jokes that the other reason why he hasn’t gotten married so far is because he’s yet to buy an elephant. He plans to ride an elephant in his baraat. Given the fact that one can barely keep a dog as a pet in a shrinking urban landscape, let alone an elephant, it’s hard to take him seriously but he sticks to his guns. “I agree with you, but do you know that I own a 100 acre farmhouse? It’s situated on Damadama Lake near Gurgaon. I have 12 dogs, four cows and two horses running free on my farm. One of my horses gave birth some time ago. The foal is called Bebo. Because I liked the song Bebo main bebo. I love my dog Jugni, who is my favourite and my camels Shankar and Shambhu. I like spending time at my farmhouse among my animals. Owning this farm has taught me that animals don’t need money to be happy. It’s a human who runs after money and its important to realise that money isn’t the be all and end all of everything.” But all this doesn’t mean that Mika doesn’t want to live life king size. He’s fond of luxury cars and has a custom coloured Hummer — he says no one in Asia has that colour — besides other top of the line models. It was his fetish for buying big cars which led him to buy camels. “I had gone to buy a Rolls Royce. It costs some 4 crores. I was about to pay when I noticed a small kid, who was crying incessantly. It turned out he was the showroom owner’s son and was crying because he wanted to ride a camel which was roaming outside. I realised owning a camel would give me a bigger thrill than owning a Rolls. Likewise, everyone rides a ghodi for their baraat but riding my own elephant would be another thing. If you have it, flaunt it. Live life king size because it’s the only life you have.”
He can’t fathom why film stars don’t flaunt their wealth. “They can’t take it away with them after their death. And how many crores do you actually need in your bank balance to feel secure? I believe in living each day to its fullest as it could be your last for all you know.” He’s aware he has to give back to society too and hence has started a NGO for the betterment of girls. “It’s called Divine Touch because I believe whatever I am today is because of the divine touch of God. It offers funds for education, plus we have set up units that teach girls tailoring and other crafts. Then, we also offer full financial support to girls belonging to the economically backward section, to get married.”
I ask him about his views on talent hunts and he says such shows have altered the lifestyle of small town singers. “Someone who was perhaps earning Rs 10,000 per month now earns a lakh per month after gaining recognition through such programmes. They can afford good houses, good cars. It has given hope to many and something that helps improve people’s lifestyles should always be welcomed.”
Mika’s Top 10 hit songs
Ae ganpat — Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007)
Mauja hi mauja — Jab We met (2007)
Saawan mein lag gayi aag — Woodstock Villa (2008)
Oye lucky Oye Lucky — Lucky Oye (2008)
Baburao mast hai — Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (2010)
Dhinka chika — Ready (2011)
Subha hone na de — Desi Boyz (2011)
Jugni — Tanu Weds Manu (2011)
Pungi — Agent Vinod (2012)
Chin ta ta chita chita — Rowdy Rathod (2012)