Fenil and Bollywood

ON A SONG: Rekha Bhardwaj

 

REAGAN GAVIN RASQUINHA Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; November 4, 2009)

 

 

Music was in Rekha Bhardwaj’s blood as far back as she can remember. The wife of Bollywood filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj recalls “waking up early on cold Delhi winter mornings, the air rich with the smell of brewing breakfast tea and spiritual music, and hearing my parents planning out the day, while I, still swathed in my warm quilt, nurtured all these sounds”.

From that time, the seed of song was planted in her fertile mind. And this Saturday, the critically acclaimed playback singer of such Bollywood films as Maachis in 1996, Maqbool in 2003, Omkara in 2006 and Dilli 6 and Kaminey in 2009, will perform her first big concert in Mumbai. It’s at the Bandra Fort, 7 pm, for the Times of India Crest Edition. Rekha is all excited. “It’s as much of an occasion for me. The venue is beautiful. I’m going to rock the audience with a full band while performing my album Ishqa Ishqa and some film songs,” she said.

Rekha, who trained at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya for a couple of years and did her Bachelor’s degree in music at Hindu College, Delhi, is well-versed in the Indore gharana and ably trained by her guruji Pandit Amarnath. She weaves in her voice well with the Merukhand form that is such an intrinsic part of this gharana. “K Pannalal was the king of rubaiyat, I was exposed to that a lot. For classical singing, Gangubai Hangal comes to mind and in semi classical Girija Devi was my favourite,” she said.

She describes her voice as being distinct, and particularly suited to a certain genre. “It’s neither too bassy nor too thin. I never try to consciously imitate anyone,” she asserted, continuing, “I sang Namak Ishq ka from Omkara. After that, I sang a thumri for Laaga Chunri Mein Daag for Shantanu Moitra. I’m even doing an upcoming one with Shankar Ehsaan Loy which is due in December. Rahman is a sufi so that makes all the difference. I prefer anything that moves my soul. I’ve come very far from ghazals. I’ve not done ghazals for nine or ten years. Perhaps I should get back into it. This is my only way to express myself, I don’t know any other way.”