Aditya Narayan: I have never thought of my father Udit Narayan’s money as my own

Aditya Narayan recently deleted all his Instagram posts and hinted at a “fresh start”. When we contacted the singer about the reason, he said it’s like an end of a life and beginning of a new one. “Mere liye mera ek janam khatam ho gaya hai. Wo ek puraana Aditya tha, aur ab ek naya Aditya aane wala hai,” he says, adding, “My image had become that of a TV show host and now that stint is pretty much coming to an end.”

The primary reason to host a show or for that matter do anything on TV, Aditya says, was to earn money, so that he could use that money to produce art under his label.

“Our audience is huge and making a video or a song is not enough. You need to have a strategy at your disposal to reach out to that audience. And that requires money. I did not want to be dependent on anyone for creating the kind of music I resonate with. But finally, I can sustain at least three albums on the money that I have earned so far. And I am happy about it. But to reach this point, to fund my 3 albums and doing everything – from production to marketing- it took me 34 years,” says the son of veteran singer Udit Narayan.

Another reason for earning his own money was his early realisation of how the industry works. “Ye maine bahut pehle realise kar liya tha that the way this industry functions, I don’t see myself thriving in this atmosphere. I can’t knock every door and request them ki mujhe ek chance dijiye, let me sing a song for you, or I sing well.”

Hence, instead of taking that route, Aditya kept himself busy in other things and reached to a point where he could be his producer, and financer.

“That way, I am not answerable to anybody… I am not obligated to anyone. If I succeed, I will bask in it’s glory, If I fail, I will bear the losses. Nobody else but me will be affected,” he reasons.

Being born to a man, who himself has been a successful musician, money should not have been an issue. But Aditya points out he has seen the struggles of his father and hence has learned a lesson that each individual needs to carve a niche for themselves in the industry based on hard work and earn their own money. “I have seen the other side of it as well through my father’s eyes. I was born when my father had just started to get recognition in the industry. So during my growing up years, I had seen the struggles as well. I grew up in one BHK. There was a sofa in the living room and I slept on it for seven years.”

Aditya says he is fully aware that no matter how much struggle he goes through, it does not stand anywhere near what his father dealt with. “That’s why I value hard work and money. I have seen how it changed our lives. I know for a fact that you have to earn these things. That’s why I have never thought of my father’s money as my own. He has worked so hard for it, why would I even think of being totally dependent on it,” he ends.