Life like the bhajan
Anup Jalota is as uncomplicated in his food preferences as he is in his appearance
Photo: V.V. KrishnanMaking a point Bhajan singer Anup Jalota is a good cook as well
Success brings its own challenges all right. But while some become haughty and unapproachable, others seem to go with the flow merrily, exuding warmth. One of those is popular singer Anup Jalota.
Concert tours send his eating habits out of gear, he notes, hence the decision to get back in shape. No doubt, if you often travel and hard work means sitting in one place and practising your singing, gaining weight is an occupational hazard. “I have a treadmill at home. I also do yoga,” he explains.
Jalota, obedient to his diet plan, places an order for a simple soup. “Whatever you do you might as well do religiously, otherwise what’s the point?” he asks. So, as part of the regimen, he has been having lauki juice in the mornings.
Never mind that when free of restrictions, he loves his South Indian dishes like idli and uthapam. “If I get hold of sambar, I just keeping drinking it!” He also likes dhokla. He seems as simple in his food preferences as in his appearance. Today bhajans have taken on the boisterousness of pop songs, the opulence of orchestral ensembles. “The bhajans that are meant to be listened to in peace and quiet — those are not to everyone’s taste. Those are the kind I sing, when you listen to every word, when the raga is named and you sing an alap. The other kind, which is more of a celebration than devotion, also sells.”
Through his association with the Sona Devotional Music Awards, now two years old, Jalota says, “I’m trying to promote my type of music.” He likes to point out that bhajans will never stop selling. His sources tell him that his hit “Aisi…More
