With songs like Jashn-e-Bahara from Jodha Akbar, Nagada Nagada from Jab We Met, Ek Din Teri Raahon Mein from Naqaab, Guzarish from Gajini, Arziyan from Delhi 6, and many others, Javed Ali has left his mark in the musical world. He presently has millions of people spellbound with his entrancing voice in the Pushpa song Srivalli that has gone viral. However, Javed Ali was a well-known figure long before the Srivalli song, and many aspiring singers looked up to and admired him. He has been transparent about his struggles in the music industry. A lot may be learned from Javed Ali’s challenges and his remarkable ascendance to fame. To know about Javed Ali’s life story check out his interview at Jay-Ho! The Jay Kumar Show, where Javed delved into great detail about his career, struggles, and the success following the release of the Srivalli song.
At Jay Ho, we take great pride in having this adored playback singer, a devoted live performer, and a wonderful person who inspires and motivates millions of young musicians all over the nation. Javed Ali mentioned his struggles while discussing his profession. He narrated the touching experiences from his life. Javed revealed that he only had 125 Rupees in his pocket when he first arrived in Mumbai. He had to come up with that much money to pay for his bills, including finding a place to live, food, and other necessities. It was challenging. Early on in his career, he had a lot of hardship.
Javed Ali shared information about his personal life and his changed surname in addition to his hard days.
Why did you change your surname from Hussain to Ali?
Answer: Javed Ali’s real surname is Hussain, which few people are aware of. As a tribute to his mentor and inspiration Ghulam Ali, he changed it to Ali. Javed stated, “I was quite interested in Ghulam Ali Saab. I used to hear his ghazals when I was young and tried to remember them. Every time he visited Delhi, I wished I could have met him. One day, my father learned that Ghulam Ali Saab had arrived in Delhi. Coincidentally, I met Ghulam Ali Saab thanks to someone my father knew. When we first met, I performed for him. He really enjoyed it and was entranced by my performance. Being a fan of his already, I was overjoyed and asked my father if I may change my last name to Ali in honour of Ghulam Ali. I eventually changed my last name from Javed Hussain to Javed Ali after my father nodded in agreement.
How do you feel after the success of Srivalli song?
As for the prominence of the Srivalli song, Javed Ali had this to say. “Pushpa’s Srivalli song has given me more confidence. I’ve only just started my journey, so there is still much to do. This song and the movie are both blessings for me. Moreover, my previous journey is distinct now. A new Javed Ali can be seen and heard. People have been creating reels of my other songs since the release of the Srivalli song. Srivalli was a gift to me. I was recording for Ilaiyaraaja before recording this song. I spent two and a half hours recording the Srivalli song. We tried different approaches while we were recording. I gave this song a creamy consistency and a unique aesthetic. As a result, after the complete recording, it turned out brilliantly, and many absolutely appreciate this song. In this song, I used a light classical Indian approach. Your confidence increases when an experiment you do is successful.
Not Srivalli, Sridevi was the first choice, learn the interesting fact here.
Javed Ali also uncovered a fascinating tidbit about the Srivalli song during the conversation. As per Javed, the song’s name was initially thought to be kept Sridevi, not Srivalli. And as you know Sridevi is also the name of the renowned actress. However, it was ultimately opted to keep Srivalli rather than Sridevi. The song was dropped because Sridevi did not match the song’s algorithm. Now, not many people are aware of this reality.
Ishaqzaade by Javed Ali was a huge hit. He received many plaudits for this song. His exquisite songs, for which he has frequently been praised as having “a fresh voice,” continue to earn him admiration today. Javed embraces the remark and offers his perspective on why he receives it.
Javed: I’ve received praise for having a “fresh voice” for my song Srivalli. The flip side of this complement, however, reveals that Bollywood has not thoroughly explored me, which keeps my voice sounding fresh whenever a new song of mine is released. I often ask music composers or directors to offer me a good song to sing, but I don’t know why I haven’t got more opportunities. However, you are unable to express your goals into the void. When something is a tremendous success, people learn about it, and that is when you become well-known.
Many classical and sufi songs are to your credit. So, are you only being categorised under one type of music?
Javed: Yes, I have performed numerous sufi and classical songs, but Srivalli is a lighthearted song. And as this song is a hit, I hope that I will be able to sing more popular songs besides sufi or classical music. Moreover, I am confident that song writers will provide me with songs from other genres.
Sonu Nigam reacts to the song Srivalli by Javed Ali.
During one of the conversations, Jay Kumar discussed Sonu Nigam’s reaction to the song Srivalli by Javed Ali. Sonu commended Javed for contributing his lovely voice to this song. Javed Ali, he claimed, is underestimated. The song Srivalli was outstanding. Javed did an amazing job singing this song. I’m overjoyed for him because I always wanted him to be successful.
Javed Ali did not come from a strong financial background. He used to perform in shows after moving to Mumbai to make ends meet.
Recalling his difficult times, Javed Ali states, “I didn’t get any financial support from my family.” I arrived in Mumbai at a very young age in search of a job with 125 Rupees. To survive, I sold my chain for 1200 Rupees. Even one meal was quite difficult to arrange. In an effort to see if there was any prospect of receiving an offer, I rushed from studio to studio. And, today I am thankful to God for what I have accomplished to this point.
He continues, “My father used to suggest that you should demonstrate your accomplishment via your actions. Work hard to develop your capacity for anything.” After coming to Mumbai I stayed in a small house. While I used to perform in certain events, I kept some money in hand and sent some to home. I have witnessed some coworkers receive attractive checks from their homes. Well, everything happens at the right time. Today, all I have accomplished to this point is because of my parents’ blessing.
Javed Ali has achieved unprecedented levels of success in the music industry. Among music lovers, he is one of the most appreciated singers. Youth and following generations will be inspired by Javed Ali’s struggle and life story, which is absolutely motivational.
