Renowned singer and composer Kailash Kher made strong remarks about the state of the Mumbai film industry during his recent appearance on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, hosted by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma. Known for his soulful voice and spiritual music, Kher didn’t hold back in expressing concern over the dominance of ‘meaningless’ content in Bollywood, adding that there is a growing need to revive and promote India’s rich tradition of folk music.

In the candid conversation aired on India TV, Kher said, “I am saying, film industry is not a bad place. It’s a good place, they toil hard and show the mirror to society. I watched few films since childhood, but let me say, very few meaningful films are being made. Timepass aur faltu type ki cheezen zyada hoti hain.”

He further emphasised that in this environment, folk music stands little chance unless encouraged through non-film platforms. “Folk music can come only through non-film music. At a time when remixes like ‘Kaanta Lagaa’ and ‘Chaman Jab Khilta Hai’ are being made, which are shallow, I would rather want songs like ‘Tere Naam Se Jude Hai Saare Naatey’,” he said.

When Rajat Sharma asked whether he was being ungrateful to the industry by calling its output ‘chaat masala’ and ‘khichdi’, Kher clarified that he had moved to Mumbai to promote tehzeeb wala sangeet (refined, traditional music) through albums. “I am grateful to God for allowing me to sing in films. Whatever songs I sang became hits. One of my songs often proved better than 100 others. Then I started getting more songs in praise of Lord Shiva – nearly 60 out of 100 songs in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil were Shiv bhajans. Yeh kudratan baat hai,” he remarked.

Reflecting on India’s deep-rooted musical heritage, Kher stressed how folk music predated cinema. “Folk songs used to be sung in homes and villages since ancient times. Films came only a hundred years ago. Even classical music is derived from folk. If we depend completely on film marketing, where will our culture go? Our folk music is the real tatwa, real satwa, our kritya – it is eternal,” he added.

Kher also spoke about his own journey – from humble beginnings in a lower middle-class family to becoming one of India’s most recognized voices. He recalled doing odd jobs including tailoring, working at a printing press, assisting a CA, and exporting handicrafts before turning to music full-time. “I even went to Parmarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh to learn the ropes of a purohit, before trying my luck in Mumbai,” he shared.

The singer recalled his first commercial break – a jingle for Nakshatra diamonds at Famous Studios in Mahalaxmi. “I prayed to Shiva and sang ‘Tanaa tanna, dhoon tan…’ spontaneously. The studio executives were blown away and asked me to send an invoice of Rs 5,000 – which I never received,” he laughed. From there, he quickly gained traction, earning Rs 8,000 for the next jingle, and Rs 20,000 for one with Bombay Dyeing. This allowed him to upgrade from a PG to a rented one-bedroom flat.

Touching on his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kailash Kher said, “Modiji bahut pyare lagte hain. Bahut gehri aatma hai (He has a very deep soul). Never before have our saints, our dharma, and our cultural heritage received such respect.”

When asked about his compositions on political themes, Kher admitted to having sung for multiple parties. “I composed songs for Congress as well. Each song came at different times. At the start of my career, I saw divinity in everyone. Later, I understood better. The songs were released together but were created in separate phases,” he clarified, addressing past compositions that praised leaders like Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, and Yogi Adityanath.

He concluded by saying that an artist’s role is not just to entertain, but also to inspire and create awareness. His artistic expressions, he insisted, are born from truth, experience and spiritual depth.