Benny Dayal, one of the most sought-after singers in the country, climbed up the ladder to fame after churning out some of the biggest hit numbers under AR Rahman. The Unakkenna Venum Sollu singer, who got married eight months ago to his sweetheart Catherine Thangam, is upbeat about his new indie album and loves being a judge on the reality show The Voice India.
“The album I am working on now is different. I cannot reveal much because we are in the initial stages right now. But I can assure you that it will be fun and entertaining,” Benny starts the conversation. Speaking about his first reality show venture with The Voice India, the singer says, “This singing reality show is a very honest approach towards music — it has a great format. Being one of the four coaches, I judge and train amateur singers. We give honest feedback and suggestions to the singers. So, there is no space for controversy. A lot of people are enjoying it.”
Known for his catchy renditions of songs, Benny has recently recorded for composer Imman. “Unfortunately, I cannot reveal the film's name. Imman sir is a great musician and always experiments with various music genres and compositions. I am very comfortable with him,” quips the singer. Though Benny stays in Mumbai, miles away from namma ooru, he keeps abreast of the musical developments in Chennai. “I dearly miss the city and whenever I get a chance to sing in Chennai, I fly down. I came here from Abu Dhabi as a boy. Everything about the city is so dear to me,” muses Benny.
The Badtameez Dil singer is ecstatic to talk about his marriage. “It’s all normal between us. I was seeing my wife Catherine for two years before getting hitched for life. We didn’t try hard to become a couple; everything just fell into place for us. If certain things are destined to happen, it will happen for sure. It was so effortless,” Benny says, adding that he is a staunch believer in God and prays to the almighty for keeping the relationship between them strong and healthy.
A heady mix of talent and music, Benny’s fashion statements are much talked about. “I dress up according to the weather. That being said, I like extremely light and comfortable clothes that carry off my personality. I have my signature caps as well and used to have huge collections of hats,” he says. Though Benny admits that music is his first love, cooking has become his second favourite — “Apart from travelling, I love to cook and eat food! Cooking is therapeutic and I thoroughly enjoy making dishes for my wife. I do watch cooking shows. Even though I come home tired, I still love to cook my signature dish — chicken curry — for my wife!”
