Babul Supriyo on how Himesh Reshammiya's rise hit his career after Hum Tum

Babul Supriyo recently opened up about how the shift in music trends, especially with the rise of Himesh Reshammiya, impacted his career after Hum Tum. In an interaction with India Today, the singer said that while he was getting several romantic songs at the time, the changing sound in the industry led to a sudden decline in opportunities.

Sharing that he agrees with the general perception that he did not get his due, Babul said there were multiple factors behind it. “There's some bad politics, too, but I won't talk about it. Because if the industry hadn't given me anything, I wouldn't have been given this platform to discuss what went wrong. So there's no need to discuss it. It happens with everyone,” he added, choosing not to dwell on the murkier side of the industry.

The singer-politician reflected on how the industry’s shifting landscape, timing, and recognition - or the lack of it - played a decisive role in shaping his career.

He shared, “And timing is also a big thing. When I sang Hum Tum, after that, I got a lot of romantic songs. But at that time, Himesh Reshammiya ji also arrived, and he started a new trend. Because of this, a steamroller ran over all romantic songs. Everything was ruined for me; it was all shattered. Everything went away in a flash.”

Even as he spoke about changing musical trends, Supriyo was quick to acknowledge the success of his contemporaries. He said he respects Reshammiya and acknowledged his phenomenal work, but added that the shift in trends affected his career.

"If I say that I didn't lose anything because of those types of songs, then I'll be a hypocrite. After Hum Tum, people around me cheered that my career would take off. But instead, it just went downhill as I went through the worst phase after that. It was really painful," he said.

What stung even more was the lack of recognition despite being part of award-winning work. Highlighting what he called a “unique record,” Supriyo said that his duet songs often won the National Award for the female singers, but not for him. With Hum Tum, Alka didi (Alka Yagnik) got it, Prasoon Joshi got it for the lyrics, but composers Jatin-Lalit and I did not get it. Similarly, for Pherari Mon (Antaheen), Shreya Ghoshal won the National Award along with the lyricist. Again, I was overlooked along with the music director Shantanu Moitra," he said.

For Babul Supriyo, these moments were not just professional setbacks but also deeply personal. “Toh yeh jo hai, yeh sab cheez kya, aapko dukh nahi deti hai, bahut deti hai (so all this that transpired, don’t you think it hurt? It hurts a lot),” he said.

Babul Supriyo recently released his single Intehaa Ho Gayi Intezaar Ki, which also features the vocals of Asha Bhosle.