Musician Biddu turns writer, works on autobiography, novels

By Robin Bansal, New Delhi, Nov 25 : After being in the music industry for 50 years and causing many a pelvic thrust, British Indian composer Biddu has now switched to writing. He is now penning his autobiography and two novels.

"I've come over (to India) basically to talk to Harper Collins, to discuss the little aspects of the promotion of my autobiography, which is coming out in January next year," Biddu told IANS in a phone interview from Mumbai.

"I've called it 'Made In India'. It's almost like an adventure story about my life and, when you read it, it's quite incredible and hard to believe. It's also humorous because I have written it in that style," he added.

Initially the sexagenarian was apprehensive about penning his autobiography.

"I wanted to remain private. But the publishers said my life's been an adventure and no one knows about, not even my wife. So why don't I write one? And I wrote it," said Biddu, who shuttles between England and Spain.

"You will see 75 percent of Biddu in the book. I'm not totally naked in my disclosure. There are certain things which I can't disclose; otherwise I might get arrested," he added.

The composer has a three-book deal with the publishers.

"My autobiography will be the first book and then towards the end of next year I will come out with a novel. It is quite a big novel. It is set between 1951 and 1959. It has romance, adventure, mysticism and murder. It's got five stories merging into one. The novel will be totally fiction."

Asked about his third book, he said: "I've started writing the third novel, it'll take time and will be ready by April-May. There is no great hurry for it. But it will be like my autobiography in the sense that my autobiography is tremendously adventurous and tongue-in-cheek."

So how did writing happen?

"Two years ago I needed a change. I've been doing music for the last 50 years; so I decided to write and change my career. I got the writing bug.

"I realised writing a novel is a bit like writing songs. Instead of having synthesisers, I was writing five to six hours on a computer. The discipline you have while writing and programming a song helps in writing a novel," he said.

Writing also came easy for the musician thanks to his Indian education.

"Fortunately, I was educated in Bangalore; so my English is good. Having a good Indian education helped," he said.

Biddu composed hit numbers like "Kung fu fighting", "Aap jaisa koi", "Laila o laila", "Disco Deewane", "Boom boom", "Johnny Joker" and "Made in India". He also introduced stars Tina Charles, Carl Douglas and Jimmy James among others and later launched late Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan. Among Indian singers, he brought Alisha Chinai, Shweta Shetty and Shaan to the limelight.

Is he bidding adieu to music?

"At the moment, I don't feel like doing music for several reasons. First, because I have got into this writing syndrome. Second, though I keep getting offers, nothing interests me because sales are so low that it is not worth making effort. The money is so meagre.

"I want to write at the moment. I find it very interesting and I am going with the flow. May be next year I might decide to do an album," he said.

Biddu will be in India again around January next year and perform live in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.

(Robin Bansal can be contacted at robin.b@ians.in)