All posts tagged: Kej

Ricky Kej on staying away from mainstream music: ‘Your art defines you as a person’ | Bollywood News

Ricky Kej on staying away from mainstream music: ‘Your art defines you as a person’ | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

3 min readMumbaiJun 17, 2026 09:30 PM IST Three-time Grammy Award-winning composer Ricky Kej, known for acclaimed albums such as Winds of Samsara, Divine Tides and Police – Beyond Borders, graced the 14th edition of The Indian Express series Expresso. During the conversation moderated by Suanshu Khurana, Kej reflected on his conscious decision to stay away from mainstream music and instead pursue a path that aligns with his artistic values. ‘Your art defines you as a person’ Speaking about why mainstream music never appealed to him, Ricky Kej said, “I was never keen on doing any kind of mainstream form of music, for various reasons. Many times, whether it’s art, finance, painting, sculpture, music, dance, filmmaking, a lot of these artists are not making the art that they themselves consume, or the kind of art that they themselves love. And I did not want that to happen to me.” Kej explained that he has always believed an artist’s work should be a reflection of who they are. Elaborating on his perspective, he said, “The second …

Ricky Kej at Expresso: ‘I’d rather be lesser known for songs that define me’ | Music News

Ricky Kej at Expresso: ‘I’d rather be lesser known for songs that define me’ | Music News

Published by Parlour News

After hosting some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment, The Indian Express series Expresso is back with its 14th edition. This time, the spotlight is on three-time Grammy winner and Padma Shri awardee Ricky Kej, who joined us for a candid conversation at the Taj West End in Bengaluru. During the session, Kej spoke about why he consciously stayed away from mainstream music, his belief that an artiste’s work should reflect their identity, and why he would rather be known for music that defines him than for songs created purely for popularity. He also shared his views on what he calls India’s “Ravi Shankar syndrome”, the country’s relationship with its classical music heritage, and how a conversation with PM Modi inspired one of the most significant projects of his career. Ricky Kej began by speaking about the choices he made early in his career. While many artistes are encouraged to pursue commercial success first and personal expression later, he chose a different route. “I had to make that strong decision early on …

Ricky Kej lauds Ranveer Singh as Dhurandhar 2 tops US box office; takes dig at Deepika Padukone’s role in Pathaan

Ricky Kej lauds Ranveer Singh as Dhurandhar 2 tops US box office; takes dig at Deepika Padukone’s role in Pathaan

Published by Webster

Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge had a massive opening in the US when it released on March 19. The film topped the US box office on that day and beat Hollywood films to take the top spot. Musician Ricky Kej took to social media to praise the director and certify Ranveer Singh as the new ‘global superstar’. He also took a dig at Deepika Padukone‘s role in Pathaan. Ranveer Singh headlines the Dhurandhar films while Deepika Padukone plays an ISI agent in Pathaan. Ricky Kej lauds Ranveer Singh as Dhurandhar 2 tops US box office Ricky took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to post a screenshot of the US box office on March 19. The list shows that Dhurandhar 2 beat Hollywood films to top the list. Posting it, he wrote, “Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, becomes the 1st Indian film in history to hit no.1 on the USA Box Office! Beating every Hollywood film. Hats of to @AdityaDharFilms and team. This is one of the greatest milestones ever for Indian cinema. Truly breaking cultural …

Ricky Kej says Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar The Revenge is longer but felt shorter; hails Aditya Dhar as ‘finest director’

Ricky Kej says Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar The Revenge is longer but felt shorter; hails Aditya Dhar as ‘finest director’

Published by Parlour News

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge has finally released in theatres, with fans and celebrities taking to X to share positive reviews. Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej also praised the film, noting that although the sequel is longer than the first instalment, it “felt shorter”. Ricky Kej praises Ranveer Singh’s performance in Dhurandhar The Revenge. Ricky Kej reviews Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge On Thursday, Ricky took to X to share his review, calling the sequel a “masterpiece”. He wrote, “Yes! Aditya Dhar has absolutely nailed the sequel. Dhurandhar 2 is a masterpiece. Longer than the previous instalment, but it felt shorter. In both films, Aditya has created a tone which I call a mix of Ridley Scott’s epic realism and Quentin Tarantino’s flamboyant action. The last instalment leaned more towards Ridley Scott (Body of Lies, Black Hawk Down), while this one is more Tarantino (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction). Aditya is the only director on Earth who has managed to strike this impossible balance and create films that are both meaningful and immensely …

Bridging Nations: Ricky Kej on spending 3 days with French President Macron during latter’s visit to India

Bridging Nations: Ricky Kej on spending 3 days with French President Macron during latter’s visit to India

Published by Parlour News

Indian musical composer, environmentalist and three-time Grammy Award winner, Ricky Kej shares an insight about the 3 days he spent with French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron during their visit to India this month: Ricky Kej with French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron As the wheels of the French Presidential Plane lifted off, carrying the leader of one of the world’s most powerful nations, I found myself aboard, for an unforgettable journey with President Emmanuel Macron. The unexpected delight was not just the destination, but the company – a world leader revered for his leadership, humility, generosity, and unassuming cool, making this an experience that will linger forever. I first met President Emmanuel Macron of France in July 2023 when he invited me for the state dinner hosted in honor of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Louvre Museum. I was in France performing at the Namaste France festival, a cultural extravaganza showcasing India’s rich heritage and contemporary flair to international audiences. At the state dinner, I was …

Ricky Kej accompanies French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron on plane: ‘Want to do a collab with him’

Ricky Kej accompanies French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron on plane: ‘Want to do a collab with him’

Published by Parlour News

Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej made the most of the India visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron. The musician accompanied his “friends” on their plane from France. Ricky Kej with French President Emmanuel Macron on the Presidential plane and with First Lady Brigitte Macron and others at the Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi on Thursday After Mumbai, he accompanied them to Delhi, where he visited the majestic Humayun’s Tomb with Brigitte Macron as the President attended the AI Summit on Thursday. On the Presidential plane He tells HT City, “I was invited for this three-day delegation, and as I was in France, I joined him on his Presidential plane. I have known the President since 2022 when he had hosted an event in honor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris. I got the opportunity to sit down with President Macron and Prime Minister Modi during that dinner. And since then, we have kept in touch as I’ve performed in France multiple times and also collaborated with artistes.” Kej says that …

Priyanka Chopra is the ‘one actor in India we don’t celebrate enough,’ says Ricky Kej: ‘She plays actual mainstream roles, not some vague, exotic Indian character’ | Bollywood News

Priyanka Chopra is the ‘one actor in India we don’t celebrate enough,’ says Ricky Kej: ‘She plays actual mainstream roles, not some vague, exotic Indian character’ | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

Three-time Grammy Award-winning music composer Ricky Kej has pointed everyone’s attention to the “one actor in India we don’t celebrate enough.” No, it’s not any mainstream star like Ranveer Singh or Ranbir Kapoor, or any streaming star like Jaideep Ahlawat or Manoj Bajpayee. It’s a female actor, and one of the very few Indian actors, who has successfully transitioned from Bollywood to Hollywood — Priyanka Chopra. “She is the ONLY Indian actor (of any generation) who has truly made waves in Hollywood and globally (After being one of the most sought after in India for many years),” wrote Ricky on his X handle on Saturday. He pointed out how Priyanka has worked with not only most of Bollywood’s best, but also several leading Hollywood stars over the years. The list includes Dwayne Johnson in Seth Gordon’s 2017 action comedy Baywatch (in which she played the chief antagonist), Keanu Reeves in Lana Wachowski’s 2021 sci-fi action movie The Matrix Resurrections, Pedro Pascal in Robert Rodriguez’s 2020 superhero film We Can Be Heroes, Stanley Tucci and Richard …

Ricky Kej feels Priyanka Chopra is not celebrated enough in India: ‘She is the only Indian actor who has…’

Ricky Kej feels Priyanka Chopra is not celebrated enough in India: ‘She is the only Indian actor who has…’

Published by Webster

Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej has weighed in on Priyanka Chopra’s global journey, saying that she is still not celebrated enough in India. He noted that Priyanka is the only Indian actor to have truly cracked Hollywood with mainstream roles. Ricky Kej also wished Priyanka Chopra good luck for her upcoming project The Bluff. Ricky Kej applauds Priyanka Chopra On Friday, Ricky took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to heap praise on Priyanka, stating that she deserves far greater recognition in India than she currently receives. “My Opinion: The one actor in India who we do not celebrate enough is @priyankachopra,” he began his note while reposting a fan-made trailer of her upcoming international project The Bluff. Ricky continued, “She is the ONLY Indian actor (of any generation) who has truly made waves in Hollywood and globally (After being one of the most sought after in India for many years). She has starred with giants like Idris Alba, Dwayne Johnson, Keanu Reeves, Karl Urban, Richard Madden, Stanley Tucci, Will Ferrell, Anthony Mackie, John Cena, Pedro …

Ricky Kej alleges theft by food delivery executive, shares CCTV footage

Ricky Kej alleges theft by food delivery executive, shares CCTV footage

Published by Webster

Ricky Kej has raised an alarm on social media after alleging theft by a food delivery executive at his Bengaluru residence. Sharing CCTV footage and vehicle details online, the Grammy-winning musician claimed the individual trespassed into his home and stole a sump cover. Kej tagged the delivery platform and police, seeking help in identifying the suspect while urging citizens to stay vigilant. Ricky Kej gets robbed In his post, Kej wrote, “I was robbed! Dear zomato, zomatocare, looks like one of your drivers entered my home on Thursday and stole our sump cover. This was at 6 o’clock in the evening. Quite bold of them! This is probably not their first time. They came in just 15 minutes earlier for a recce, and then trespassed and committed the crime.” He also shared CCTV footage and vehicle details. “You can see the CCTV footage from two angles, along with screenshots of his face and the number plate. The number appears to be KA03HY8751 on a red Honda Activa,” he wrote. In the same post, Kej appealed …

Ricky Kej calls Dhurandhar ‘spy thriller done correctly’; takes a dig at Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone’s Pathaan

Ricky Kej calls Dhurandhar ‘spy thriller done correctly’; takes a dig at Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone’s Pathaan

Published by Parlour News

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, has become the talk of the town since its release. From audiences to industry insiders, the spy thriller has been receiving widespread praise. Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej also lauded the film and, in the process, took a dig at Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s Pathaan. Ricky Kej slams those criticising Dhurandhar but praising Pathaan. Ricky Kej reviews Dhurandhar Sharing his thoughts, Ricky Kej wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Was travelling non-stop and took a short break to watch #Dhurandhar — and WOW! Indian cinema coming of age. The 3.5-hour runtime goes by in a flash, leaving us asking for more. The performances, editing and dialogues are all absolutely top-notch. Incredible music by @shashwatology. A spy thriller done correctly. Technically brilliant — every department has excelled. A big, hearty congratulations to the genius captain of the ship, @AdityaDharFilms. He has now proven himself to be the best and incapable of anything less than brilliance. (I had the pleasure of meeting him once in 2001!).” …