DJ Narain is back, to shoot a song in hometown Lucknow

Twenty years after their major release, musical band Aryan’s lead vocalist DJ Narain has come up with his new single. After taking a voluntary retirement, the bureaucrat-singer is back to what he likes most — singing and entertaining people.

The Lucknowite says, “Our last big release as a band was Dekha Hai Teri Akhno Ne (2002). Then 17 years back we came up with Kehta Hai Dil Baar Baar which was released but something went wrong with the label and they had to withdraw the promotions so things couldn’t happen. We formed a band in 90s and finally in 2013 we all got weary and busy with our personal endeavours’ and the band got dissolved while we all went on or solo trips.”

Their last project together was for film Woodstock Villa (2008) but till 2013 they kept doing live gigs. “It’s a massive redemption that I came up with Tera Naam and within four days it got over a million hits.” Narain has also featured in the song.

On changes since their peak days, the Ankhon Mere Tera Hi Chera singer says, “I have realised that music arrangement needs to be little peppier. While melodies would always be evergreen, some structural changes have happened. There are no longer straightjacket formats like sthai, mukhra and antra. Like, my song has poetic narration format which builds a story and then the song follows. Also, the music part needs to be bit contemporary but I took a conscious decision to write simple lyrics without any slangs. My next song Toh Kya Hua Yaar too is in same format.”

A former director of FTTI, he took voluntarily retirement as additional secretary to the Government of India in March. “Many of my colleagues in bureaucracy were like why are you quitting at the peak of your career! I probably took the call so I can connect with people more with my songs and give them happiness. Also, I have lived life on my calling — being a civil servant established a band, then we disbanded at our peak of career, now took a VRS and am currently doing music again and gearing up to do lives shows, once again jamming to the glory.”

His last live concert was at Lucknow University’s centenary celebrations in November, 2020. “Next, I want to do a song in Lucknow and shoot it at the place where it all started and at the university with my musical soulmate Gullu (Dinesh Khushwaha). In fact, I want to restart my live gigs from the state capital and interestingly our second last gig as Aryan’s band happened here at the HT City anniversary celebrations. Now, that I want to settle down the only place that comes to my mind is Lucknow, let’s see!”