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By Vickey Lalwani Š2004 Bollyvista.com |
Meet Ritika Sahni, the voice behind 'Tum Se Mili Nazar...' the hit song from the film 'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon'.
Excerpts from an interview by Vickey Lalwani:
Ritika was the only female singer to be picked up by Sony Music when it decided to launch upcoming Indian singers under its banner. Her self-titled Indi-pop album did all right at a time when such albums were not doing so well commercially. She always aspired to sing for films. Her major break came when she sang for Ram Gopal Varma's 'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon', which did wonders for the under-dog Rajpal Yadav and not for the protagonist Antara Mali.
Ritika's 'aalap' in the song became the signature tune of film's promos. Incidentally, Ritika's life resembles that of the protagonist Chutki (Antara) in the film.
Read on to find out this and lots more...
How did you get to sing 'Tum Se Mili Nazar...'?
Chandan Arora the director of the film was looking for a new vibrant voice for this particular song, a voice that was unidentifiable. He decided to try me on.
Was it your first film song?
I had earlier sung for Shyam Benegal's 'Hari Bhari'. Vanraj Bhatia was the music director. I had also sung for some Bengali films and had the opportunity to work with some Kolkata-based music directors.
What made you shift your base from Kolkata to Mumbai?
I came to Mumbai for Sony Music album. Sony was also producing this album. Mumbai was not totally new to me though. I had done my B.Ed in Deaf Education form here. I decided to stay on in Mumbai even after my album was completed and released. Mumbai is a city of big opportunities. I could do much more here as a professional singer performer.
How tough or easy it was for you, a single girl, to live in Mumbai?
I am from a middle class Punjabi family. I am the only daughter of my parents. However, right from the beginning, I have tried to be self-sufficient. After having completed my education, I have been more or less on my own. I have survived against all odds so far. Mumbai has been kind to me. Survival has not been a problem here (pauses).
Please go on...
I have been regularly doing Jingles and acting and anchoring assignments and stage shows. I have also been doing stage shows all over India. However, getting into Hindi film singing has been tough. I have been doing the rounds every singer has to do. It is a constant struggle. I kept meeting music directors and am still doing so, though now they are looking at me in a better vein. I believe luck plays an important role. A Ram Gopal Varma film is certainly a big break.
Have there been any new developments on the film-singing front after 'Tum Se...'?
I have sung a song for Mahesh Manjrekar directed and Popcorn Entertainment produced film 'Rakht'. It is an item song sung by me under Sameer Tandon's music direction.. I have also recorded a song for Sagar Sarhadi's forthcoming film. There are a few other film assignments in the pipeline, which are about to be finalised. As I told you, a Ram Gopal Varma film is a big break (laughs).
What about Indi-pop?
The market is not very receptive to Indi-pop albums at the moment. However, I am working on my new album since the last few years. We are trying to create something really different and path breaking, in the hope that new kind of music should succeed even in this kind of dismal scenario. We are a group of musicians, all friends. We are not in a hurry though. I am also working on a Bhajan album for a friend of mine. In the meantime, I did a couple of other albums. One of them was for Lucky Star Entertainment, an album that had predominantly Rajasthani folk songs. It was titled 'Pardesi Dhola'. I have also been producing albums for children.
Album for children! Tell me about it.
One of my friends Varsha and I have been doing it jointly. The first album 'Happy Day' was released by Music Today. It was meant for children in the 2-6 age group. It did very well. It was also supported by Sahara Airlines. We have sold more than 70,000 copies of it, and if you agree, this is really good by any standard. It has also been brought out in Braille for blind children. We have just finished the production of our next album titled 'Tim Tim Tara'.
You have done cover versions of the songs too. How did you find the experience?
It is very interesting. I do this selectively and respectfully. I take them as my personal tribute to the original composers and singers. One of my songs for the 'Nirvana Lounge' album has done very well. It is a cover version of 'In Aankhon Ki Masti...', a song from 'Umrao Jaan' originally sung by Ashaji. I have also sung cover versions of some songs for a Times Music album. It is not yet released. They are in the process of making the music video. It is a peppy number.
Do you think it is right to bring out the cover versions?
It is not a question of anyone's personal belief any more. It is an established worldwide practice now. So long as you do not mutilate the spirit of the original, it is not immoral. There are commercial factors too. The original composer should be duly credited and compensated for his/her work in my opinion. Most of the music companies that produce cover versions do take permissions from the original owners of the song and pay royalties as far as I know. Whatever cover versions I have sung so far, have turned out to be really good and have amply showcased my talent as a singer. I have also been given due credits.
What about your career as an actress? How is that progressing?
I have acted on stage and in TV programmes. I have done a few major musicals. One of them was 'Ram Katha Ram Kahani', a musical produced by Padatik and directed by Shyamanand Jalan, the much acclaimed and honored theatre person. I did yet another musical, a version of the famous Broadway musical 'Cats'. I acted in the critically acclaimed 'Naya Zamana' (telly serial on Zee TV) and some episodes of 'Ajeeb Dastan ' (Star Plus). I am open to doing substantive and meaningful acting assignments.
What about your stage shows?
I have been doing a lot of them. They give me an opportunity to travel across the country. These keep me very busy. My shows have taken me from Assam to Kerala and from Bihar to Gujarat. Most of these are corporate shows. I get to interact with my audiences in these shows. I love being a singer performer. It sets the adrenalin flowing in top speed.
Which are your favorite activities apart from professional singing?
I am an active person. I love to go on treks. I spend a lot of time, reading. I also work for the Spastics Society. I am also part of a movement called CATS that campaigns against tobacco and smoking among young people. I also write songs. I regularly do Riyaaz with my musician friends. |
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