Dream Boy

Babbal Rai Is the Hottest New Sensation in the Punjabi Industry. Devesh Sharma Profiles the Talented Performer

- Devesh Sharma

Babbal Rai is a popular performer in the Punjabi industry whose latest single, Dream Boy, has generated five million views so far. He’s one among the emerging breed of Punjabi stars who are making a name for themselves not only in the domestic market but on the overseas front as well. Punjabi music has a wide audience abroad. In fact, it’s the only parallel music industry that co-exists with the film world in India. Babbal has given playback in just one Punjabi film so far and has acted in three films. He’s steadily getting offers both as a singer and as an actor. It wouldn’t be wrong to predict a glorious innings for him in the Punjabi industry. Likewise, playback offers are in the offing in B-town too. He’s been taking it slow, making sure to bet on the right projects. Watching his video and hearing his vibrant voice, it’s clear that Babbal Rai is here to stay. Excerpts from a freewheeling interview…

YOU HAVE AN UNUSUAL NAME BABBAL RAI?

(Laughs) It has been my nickname as far as my memory goes. My family used to lovingly call me Babbal. I began using it as my stage name. Since most people started knowing me as Babbal Rai than with my real name Simranjeet, I kept it even after my YouTube video Australian Challa went viral.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY…

Actually, I started singing way back in kindergarten. For my first performance at Doordarshan, the late Labh Janjuaji made me practise. Then I started competing in singing competitions in school. After school, I used to sing on limited occasions. But once when I posted a random video of my song Australian Challa on YouTube, it went viral and made me a star overnight. Later it was adapted in the Emraan Hashmi film Crook. I worked hard to release my first album Sau Putt.