Reshammiya knows how to love, but perhaps, more remarkably, he knows how to inspire love. He knows that the best way to make someone fall in love is to make them laugh. And there’s little he won’t do to amuse you, whether that’s parodying himself lifting weights while performing on stage or gliding across the floor in a bodysuit that matches the tiles to steal a diamond in Badass Ravi Kumar (2025). You might think you’re laughing at Reshammiya, but make no mistake; you’re laughing with him. “Badass Ravi Kumar has the kind of quirkiness that lands well today. It’s got that larger-than-life feel; however, it’s very self- aware,” he explains. “You can’t fool Gen Z. They know these dialogues and music can’t exist in the present. But if you specify that the film is set in a retro era, then you aren’t challenging their intelligence. They appreciate that.”
Contrast-trim ribbed tank top, COS. Creased batik denim jacket and jeans, COUNTRYMADE. Photographed by Amitava Sinha. Styled by Manglien Gangte.
Reshammiya is unexpectedly eloquent. When I ask him a question, he does not rush to answer. I can see him mulling it over, the gears in his head turning until a thought has formed to his satisfaction. The more I talk to him, the more I realise he has the mind of a businessman, that his hyperbolic public persona is part of the act. He sees we love brainrot, so he gives us brainrot. He understands that to be cringe is to be free. ‘Lord Himesh’ he may be, but he is not above owning up to his mistakes. “When I started my singing career, people just decided that my voice was nasal, even though I tried to explain it was high-pitched. In 2006,” he recalls, “Ashaji (Bhosle) said she wanted to slap me when I said that even RD Burman sang through his nose. I apologised because her anger was justified. What I actually wanted to point out is that when you touch those high notes, you tend to go nasal. It’s very natural. In any case, once I accepted that my voice is nasal, nobody had a problem. If the public wants to brand me a certain way, I’ll accept it. I’ll make it my identity. Public sab jaanti hain.”
