MALAYSIAN singer Kamal Chopra turned her dream into reality when her soulful duet with renowned Bollywood playback singer and king of romance ballads Kumar Sanu hit over three million views online in a short time. The song Chandni, literally meaning “moonlight” in Hindi, has seized the attention of the Indian music industry.
“Collaborating with Kumar and being featured in this video is truly a great honour. It is a matter of great pride to be given the opportunity to work with this legendary singer,” said Kamal at the Malaysian launch of Chandni, where she also shared her dream of achieving global distinction.
The musical score, composed by maestro Arvinder Raina and Mridul, has blended contemporary rhythms with a timeless appeal. The melodious use of the saxophone in the music video has created a captivating sound against the stunning backdrops of the Indian cities of Mumbai and Chandigarh.
Kumar is the voice behind several famous songs in Bollywood movies starred by popular actors, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Bobby Deol and Amir Khan. He won five consecutive Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback singer from 1991 to 1995 and holds the Guinness World Record for recording the most number of songs (28) in a single day.
Kamal has previously won accolades internationally in London and Japan. The most recent was the Most Outstanding International Singer/Performer at the WCEJA Japan Awards 2023. In the UK, Kamal picked up the award for Best International Artiste at the UK Bhangra Awards, in 2019 and 2022, showcasing her ability to be versatile even in the Bhangra genre.
Kamal attributed the success of Chandni to the romantic composition of Arvinder, with lyrics by Shabab Allahabadi and Anjaan Sagri. She credited the professionalism of the video to producer Dr Sunil Chopra and director Philip, who she said crafted the video with creativity and individualism.
The KL launch of the music video was officiated by Malaysian Indian Heritage Society chairman Prabhakaran Nair during a ceremony and press conference.
Kamal, a mother of three grown up children, is a lawyer by qualification and the lead singer of a rock band called Vintage Rising. She also sings in a number of languages, including English, Punjabi, Hindi, Malay, Tamil and Chinese.
Having initially practised as a lawyer, Kamal realised her true love was in singing. She shared how she had won competitions during her school days but never pursued singing as a career.
“Now, I intend to pursue singing and focus on producing songs for movies or dramas as it is satisfying to see the end product and to work with so many talented individuals, who are dedicated to their work,” said Kamal.
She also added that the success of the whole project would not have been possible without her family, especially her husband Dr Chopra, who as producer gave his support and encouragement.
Beyond her achievements in music, Kamal lends a helping hand in the community in the field of music. She is a member of the Penang Arts Council, supporting local artistes.
As a panel member of Youth with Rhythm, under the Youth Development Corporation, she helps to mentor young artistes and promotes the importance of arts in youth development – a project very close to her heart as she believes youth should be given the opportunity to develop their talents fully.
