Carrying on his father's legacy...

When Nitin Mukesh steps into the spartan Railway Officers Rest House , apologising profusely for being late, you enter a comfort zone. Wife, sister, traffic and unfinished retail therapy delayed him, admits the soft-spoken singer insisting that he is "usually punctual". Son of the legendary Mukesh, he seems happy to carry on his father's legacy. Mention his father and a broad smile spreads across his face. "Following my father's footsteps was natural to me. Of his five children, who are all musically inclined, I was destined to be a professional singer. Besides my father's encouragement, it's the divine grace that helped me choose music as my profession," says Nitin who always found "Mukeshji's humility and god-fearing nature appealing".

"He is the ideal man for me.He was a great father, and a great human being. He always used to tell us, `Art you are born with, but values and qualities you cultivate'," says Nitin. Mukesh didn't mind that his nine-year-old son Nitin had to miss school often, to accompany him to concerts around the world. Nevertheless, Mukesh senior wanted his son to study management. But Nitin's heart was elsewhere and the passion for music made Mukesh understand and accept the latter's dedication, and decision. And, Nitin trained in music under teachers like Pt. Jagannath Mishra, Ustad Faiyyaz Ahmed Khan and Chhote Iqbal.

"When I got my first assignment in Mera Naam Joker, I was elated beyond words as it was a dream come true for both me and my father," says Nitin."Though life hasn't been easy, I took the struggle in my stride because of my love for the art. Looking back, I feel that I couldn't have been happier doing anything else."

Offers kept coming though, mostly from people who had been closely associated with his illustrious father. "But if I didn't deliver it would not have continued for long". On the euphoria created by Noorie, he says it was a result of family friend Yash Chopra's well-kept promise. "After my father passed away, Chopraji told me that he would give me a song that would do for me what Kabhi Kabhi did to my father. And Noorie happened. It was my first taste of stardom, recognition and success," he says.

And, it was also the first time he felt "worthy of being his father's son, and being a Mukesh". A look at his track record shows that quality, rather than numbers, marks Nitin's career. Songs like Main kaise usse pasand karoon, Gapuji gapuji gum gum, Zindagi ki na toote ladi, Tumhare palkon ki, Hanste hanste, Woh kehte hain humse, One two ka four, Tere mere hoton pe and the recent O Priya O Priya Priya followed, and kept reiterating his position in Bollywood.

Nitin has consciously distanced himself from playback singing and the 55-year-old singer is today content with live shows around the world and music albums.

"There are so many new talented singers in the field now but the recording scene has changed; the compositions have become different. Nevertheless, if I am offered a challenging number, I would be willing to take it up," he says.

Nitin is okay with the current remix trend, provided the song is not accompanied by an obscene video. "Remix is after all an expression of a creative person, and an experiment. Some of the songs, including Noorie, are quite enjoyable," he says.

If he were given a chance to do a remix of his own songs, he would choose Woh kehte hain humse and So gaya yeh jahan, besides a few of his father's songs like Jaane kahan gaye woh din, Kehta hai joker, Hum tujhse mohabbat karke sanam, Pyaar hua ikrar hua, Sawan ka mahina and Dum dum diga diga which incidentally happen to be his favourites. Now, that's what we call being the worthy son of a worthy father.

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WHAT MADE NITIN HIS FATHER'S SON:

"I trust in the Almighty. He looks after me and my voice," says Nitin Mukesh. Nevertheless, these are what help him go on and maintain the mithaas in his voice.

A lot of singing and a lot of care.

Eating right, a slight adjustment here and there in the lifestyle, and proper sleep habits.

Discipline, and faith in the Lord, and himself.

Love of his, and his father's, fans.

Happiness at home and the support of a loving family including his mother, wife, siblings and three children (daughter Neha happily married to Alakshendra, elder son Neil who is making his debut as an actor, and younger son Naman).