Hariharan On Legends: Singing Tu Hi Re Was Like Deja Vu For Me, Felt It Was Familiar | Exclusive

Music titan Hariharan has given numerous classics for over five decades, but some stand out from his iconic discography. Appearing on Republic Media Network's Legends, the Padma Shri awardee shared the story behind recording his timeless hit Tu Hi Re, which featured in Mani Ratnam's Bombay (1995).

Hariharan said that he recorded the song in flat 30-45 minutes. The team had him singing the Tamil version first. Hariharan recalled being in the studio with composer AR Rahman, Mani Ratnam and lyricist Mehboob at that time. He also called it a deja vu moment in his life, adding that Tu Hi Re made him feel like he had heard it before somewhere.  

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“When Rahman ji called me, we recorded it in Tamil. Mani Ratnam ji was also there in the studio along with the writer Mehboob. I heard the song and it was like deja vu for me. I thought that I had heard it somewhere. I felt it was familiar. I recorded the Tamil song in flat 30-45 minutes. It was a track and a harmony going on. It was only my voice. There was no music track recorded then. That was put later on,” he shared.

Hariharan also spoke about how he was spotted by the legendary singing sisters late Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. He said that meeting them, when he was 18 or 19, felt like family. "The first time when Lata ji and Asha ji ne bulaya mujhe, asking who is the young boy singing. They asked me to sing with them in a show. This happened in the late 70s. I was 18 or 19 at that time. I met them and I instantly felt like they were family. When you listen to their songs everyday, it feels like you know them. When I sang with them then I got to know what its really like," Hariharan said.