MUMBAI: Universal Music Group India and South Asia & EMI Records India Senior Vice President, Vinit Thakkar finds himself and VYRL Originals fortunate to have collaborated with various new and existing artists. In an exclusive interview with Radioandmusic, Vinit talks about artist collaborations, challenges faced and his role as a mentor.

On the challenges faced, Vinit said, “Of course there are challenges when launching a new artist. Established artists do come with a lot of fan following, which unfortunately the new ones do not have. But, I think that’s the reason why we have created the platform, VYRL Originals. Here we bring in the best infrastructure and entire strength of Universal network to help new artists to reach out to new audiences and build a fan base for them.”

On being asked, how the artists are groomed at VYRL Originals, Vinit told, “Every song and artist has a different journey. So, it is very difficult to say that there is a set rule or method by which it gets done. A lot of ingredients are responsible for making both artist and a song successful. But, the heart of it lies that it should be a good song. And, then, of course how we package it with visuals and create a story around it matters. There is a lot of effort and hard work the team puts behind the success of a new artist.”

VYRL Originals recent collaboration with Pakistan singer for the single was noteworthy and the song’s success says it all. Arjun Kanungo and Momina Mustehsan’s Aaya Na Tu has garnered over 24 million views on YouTube. The video is produced by VYRL Originals, a platform that aims to launch independent artists. 

When asked if the platform is looking forward to collaborating with international artists in the future, Vinit had a thought to share. He said, “According to me, a successful collaboration is one, where both the artists tend to benefit from each other owing to their complementary skills. So, I don’t see collaboration as from a particular country or region, but as two unique artists, coming together to create magic. And, this according to me is the right collaboration.”

Vinit plays a key role in mentoring the artists that VYRL Originals has collaborated with until now. On his share as a mentor, Vinit exclaimed, “Firstly, I must say that everything that we do is a result of excellent team effort. It’s just that some of us happen to be the face. But, yes, I do spend a lot of time with artists to understand them, their aspirations, strengths, and how they see their career spanning. This is the most interesting part of my job.”

Lastly, when asked about, what quality he seeks in every artist, they work with, Vinit signed off saying, “I don’t think it’s one or two things we seek. But, we are blessed with the kind of artist we have discovered, met and signed for our label.”

VYRL Originals, a platform launched by Mohit Suri has introduced many new faces like Rahul Mishra to the audience.