Rachelle's Interview with Biddu
What kind of books do you like to read? Which authors influenced you?
Don’t have a favourite author or been influenced by anyone else. Altho’ I am a huge admirer of Shakespeare.
What is your greatest fear? What keeps you up at night?
The way the world is heading and religious extremism. What keeps me up at night is a weak bladder. (just kidding yo.)
Any advice for upcoming authors?
Make sure you have spellcheck.J
What is one thing you wish you knew before you began this journey?
How long it would take me to walk from Bombay to London.
What is the biggest lesson you have learnt from your experiences?
The biggest lessen was when I had my first number 1 in Japan with a group called the tigers. I had no contract with the record company altho’ my name was on the record. The chairman of the record company would not give me even a penny because I had no written contract. The lesson I learned was to always be nice and kind to people.
Tell me what a typical day looks like.
Old habits die hard. I wake up around 6am. Head for lap top /mobile, tablet whatever and go thru my emails. Then I glimpse at the headlines of the BBC, Times of India, and Dawn. This takes about 2 minutes. Then I go across the road to Hyde Park if I’m in London and take a walk , do some yoga. After that, I take whatever the day offers.
What do you want your readers to walk away with after reading your novel?
The spirit of adventure and the realising of dreams.
The youth in India live in controlled societies. Usually by their mother or father. Giving rein to their dreams is not often encouraged. It is better to have a moment of adventure than a lifetime of regret.
Made in India by Biddu
As a child, Biddu dreamt of going west and making it big as a composer. At the age of sixteen, he formed a band and started playing in a cafe in Bangalore, his home town, At eighteen, he was part of a popular act at Trinca's, a nightclub in Calcutta devoted to food, wine and music, At nineteen, he had college students in Bombay dancing to his music.
In his early twenties, he left the country and ended up hitchhiking across the Middle East before arriving in London with only the clothes on his back and his trusty guitar. What followed were years of hardship and struggle but also great music and gathering fame. From the nine million selling "Kung Fu Fighting" to the iconic youth anthem of "Made in India" and the numerous hits in between. Biddu's music made him a household name in India and elsewhere.
In this first public account of all that came his way: the people, the events, the music tours and companies Biddu writes with a gripping sense of humor about his remarkable journey with its fairy tale ending. Charming, witty, and entirely likable, Biddu is a man you are going to enjoy getting to know.
About the Author
Biddu was born in India, where he started his career playing in a pop band whose influences lay in the classic repertoire of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Following his early success, he decided to hear West and move into the international music arena. He struck gold, signing the unknown Carl Douglas and producing "Kung Fu Fighting?" which went on to become a hit all over the world. He also wrote and produced hits for Tina Charles and soul legend Jimmy James.
Around this time, Biddu became involved in Indian music: he composed the cult "Aap Jaise Koi" for the film Qurbani which set a new landmark for sales in India He followed this up with a pop album, Disco Deewane, with Nazia Hassan, which became the largest selling pop album in Asian history, and was the first Indian album to hit the charts in fourteen countries. In 1995, Biddu wrote and produced the three-million-selling album Made in India with the singer Alisha Chinai. To date, Biddu has sold over thirty-eight million records worldwide.
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