A resurfaced interview of renowned Indian playback singer Alka Yagnik has gone viral, in which she reacts to reports that Osama bin Laden, the former al Qaeda chief, was a fan of her music.
The interview, conducted six years ago by producer Anu Ranjan, gained traction after a clip circulated on social media.
During the conversation, Yagnik was informed that during the 2011 raid on bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad, the CIA had reportedly discovered several recordings of her songs among other Bollywood music.
Responding to the revelation, the singer remarked, “Is it my fault? Osama bin Laden jo bhi hai jaisa bhi hai, uske andar ek chota sa kalakaar hoga kahin... (No matter what he did, there might be an artiste inside him). Pasand hai toh phir, accha hai na (If he liked my songs, isn’t that good)?”
Among the recordings found in bin Laden’s possession was Ajnabee Mujhko Itna Bata, a song from the 1998 film Pyar To Hona Hi Tha, starring Kajol and Ajay Devgn.
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The resurfaced video has prompted humorous reactions from netizens, with one user quipping, “Alka ji: Mere fan bhi kitne khatarnaak hain (My fans are so dangerous).” Another fan praised her talent, commenting, “I have never seen or heard a better female singer than Alka Yagnik.”
‘Dirty politics in the music industry’
During the same interview, the award-winning singer also spoke candidly about industry politics, revealing that she had lost several songs to senior artists.
“Politics exists in every line of work. A lot of songs were taken away from me. One of my contemporaries played very dirty politics with me. I’d rehearse a song only to find out that a senior singer had eventually sung it,” she said.
