Pakistan is not the torch-bearer of Islam, and if I change my country, it doesn't mean that I have to change my religion.
I can understand when people say that they're not a big fan of my music. That's an individual opinion, and I respect that. But you don't have the right to comment on my choice of citizenship, my skin colour, or my religion. It's not open to discussion.
I was born in England, but India is the only place I feel at home.
I was 230 kg, with a size 81 waist. I couldn't buy anything off the shelf and needed more than one tailor to measure and stitch my clothes.
I have gone to many beautiful places across the globe, but I must say that the northeast of our country is the best-kept secret in the world.
I am a singer. You love me or hate me based on my music. If you are judging me based on my nationality and religion, you are a racist. This is very offensive. I cannot encourage that.
Being a public figure, you cannot make everyone happy. Some people will criticise your actions, and I cannot stop expressing my opinion based on that.
I come from a non-musical family.
My roots are in classical music and jazz, and I want the freedom of being able to improvise. This freedom is possible only in a live concert.
Recording a Hindi song takes me around 40 minutes whereas a Kannada song takes me about two hours. The music isn't a problem, since the notes used are universal. The language is the problem. I try my best to get it right, as I'm sensitive about respecting every language, since all of them are sacred in my heart.
My father was a great connoisseur of music and arts. He said, 'I will encourage you in anything you do, but make sure you get a solid education.' So, I studied in the finest schools and went on to become a qualified barrister but didn't take up law because my music was my area of interest.
When my first album came out, it wasn't Bollywood.
People said that I had liposuction surgery, but you tell me how can a man of 230 kgs lose weight only with a prick of a needle.
I am glad that my weight never affected my singing career, but other than this, I faced a lot problems: like, I was unable to talk for 20 minutes after coming down from the stage after my shows. I got very tired because of my fatness.
If there is a new airport in Mumbai, I would feel proud about it, and I equally feel angry when I see potholes.
My weight is this permanent topic that just doesn't fade away. Most days, I am fine with people talking about it. That doesn't bother me as much as how people use the fact to promote their own ventures.
Though music was not in my blood, I always considered myself belonging to music, and that remained with me throughout my studies. The studies were my parents' wish, which I fully complied with, as one must be educated at the highest possible level.
I do not think classical music faces any threat because new music is being made through computer, as the real charm of classical is its purity, and one who is seeking purity will surely find classical music in spite of so many alternatives.
Sufis were always spreading love with their music, and if some kind of extremism is a threat to it, it is a threat to all humanity.
I feel that one should be health conscious, and that feeling can only come from within, so I suggest people to challenge yourself.
