I know. The moment you read the headline, you must’ve rolled your eyes. And honestly speaking, I don’t blame you.
Thanks to his ‘masterpieces’ like Xpose and Karzzzz, Reshammiya has become a parody of his own style that used to, once upon a time, come naturally to him. Yes, as hard as it might be to visualize today, there was a time when he wasn’t torturing the aam junta with weird movies with weirder titles.
There was a time when he was doing what he did best.
Making music.
A lot is often said about the 90s. About how it was the best era ever. About how kids these days will never experience that level of nostalgia. And of course, about how the Indian entertainment industry rolled out its best content ever.
However, in our quest to immortalize the 90s, we forget about another era that has acquired a cult following of its own.
The mid-2000s.
While the 90s had shaped our childhood, year 2005 was the year that shaped our adulthood. It was the year when we’d grown sensible enough to acknowledge a new era taking over. The year when most kids from the 90s were in the 10th or 11th standard.
And one of the many awesomeness that the year offered us, was Himesh Reshammiya.
Yes, Himesh ‘Aashiq banaya aapne’ Reshammiya.
Somehow, Reshammiya managed to do what Indie artistes had managed to do for teenagers back in the 90s; capture and understand their angst.
In almost all his music videos, Reshammiya appeared as the melancholy lover who’d given everything he had to the love of his life and had gotten nothing in return. Even his lyrics suggested that even though he’d made peace with the situation, he was still sad as he tried to find comfort in her memory.
Add to that a never before heard sound that was nasally oriented, beats that were addictive and a cap that refused to leave his head, and Reshammiya instantly became a cultural phenomena.
He became a friend to all those young adults dealing with the pain of heartbreak and puppy love. He became that assuring voice that comforted them as they dealt with their loneliness. He didn’t give them a pragmatic advice about moving on.
Instead, he gave a voice to their pain and helped them express it. He wasn’t the angered aashiq looking for revenge. Instead, he was a dignified lover who knew when it was time to let go.
And I’m not the only one who was in awe of the Himesh of the mid-2000s. Just read the comments under any of his songs and you’ll know how many people still look back fondly to that era courtesy Reshammiya.
Dear Himesh, if you’re reading this, please come back to making awesome songs. Major missing is happening. Aapki topi ki kasam.