Mumbai: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh can not only spin but also sing. The cricketer has just released his second song and roped in cricketers Suresh Raina and Manpreet Gony to sing with him.
Singh is popular among IPL teammates for his ability to sing Sufi tracks and made Raina and Gony sing with him during the launch of the second version of one of his songs in Chandigarh.
In 2013 when Singh brought out a single-song album entitled ‘Meri Maa’ (my mother) which later became a huge hit, with millions of hits on YouTube, he told Gulf News in an exclusive interview: “My mother has done a lot for me. She has sacrificed a lot to make me a successful cricketer. When I heard the lyrics of the song (written by Sanjay Glory) I liked it. I felt it was very touching and sums up my whole life, especially what my mother has done for me. Finally I ended up singing the song myself.”
Last year he sang a song to celebrate the contribution of real-life heroes who work towards the nation’s welfare. Singh has also been approached to also act in Punjabi films, but the off-spinner hasn’t given his nod.
Interestingly, Harbhajan has inspired many IPL players to take up singing. West Indian cricketer Dwayne Bravo has become an overnight singing sensation in India with his song ‘Champion’.
Singh can speak any language fluently and he won the hearts of Chennai fans by posting a video where he wished fans in Tamil language. Singh has moved out from Mumbai Indians to play for Chennai Super Kings this season.
After Raina sang with Singh, many asked the latter whether he would also start singing “I sing once in a while but not professionally,” he said.
Meanwhile, makers of promotional videos are finding IPL cricketers the best bet to push their products. Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stands out as the best among cricketers in front of camera. His lines for the promotional video for Rajnikant’s new movie ‘Kaala’ in which he says ‘kya rey, setting AAA’ has become a big hit.
Meanwhile, Bollywood filmmakers have also shown an interest in using the IPL for promotion of their movies. It is understood that the teaser of ‘Sanju’ the Rajkumar Hirani directed biopic of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt would be launched during the April 24 match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. Everyone knows that any event or product can get maximum mileage if launched during IPL. Involving cricketers to promote their products also helps a lot. Most IPL teams are endorsing chocolates, mints and even fast-food through the IPL stars.
