She sings a happy tune

Mona

She has won listeners with her folk fusion, but the very Punjabi Neha Bhasin did not touch this genre till late in her career. Starting with anything but folk, read pop, R n B, rock; this urban Punjabi came searching for roots rather late, but to what effect!

Great going

The singer with Dhunki, Jag Ghoomeya and Kaala Doreya to her credit, Neha is currently basking in the glory of a million plus hits to her very recent Sasse Puttar. A stop at Chandigarh en route Shimla where she is off to celebrate her third wedding anniversary; hair azure, bubble gum pink mini-skirt, the all-ravishing Neha laughs, “No my mother-in-law is complete opposite, no sasse puttar in real.” She adds as an after-thought, “Probably because she’s not a Punjabi.”

But then she’s ecstatic at the comments women are leaving vis-a-vis this funny modern folk wherein Kiku Sharda plays the saas. 

Punjabi folk

Having courted success rather early, Neha did see a dull phase when she had no work and relationships were messed up.  But then she worked on herself; constant support from family and her husband helped her chart her own path. In fact, she credits her husband Sameer Uddin for the folk trail — her true partner in life and creative pursuits! “He’s not Punjabi, half-Muslim, half-Malayali, much in love with folk, all kinds — Celtic, Greek, Albanian! And he asked, ‘You are Punjabi, why don’t you try it?” 

Neha was hesitant. “Folk is a very pure form, I was shy. But once I started with Latthe Di Chadar, there was no looking back.”

So, is the Hindi film industry a fair playing field? “No, where is it in our country?” she asks back. Such talent and yet hardly any women as lauded composers or even in the thriving Punjabi industry one can count female singers on the finger-tips.  “The thing is that our society is not yet ready to accept powerful women. Still it’s the sweet, meek girl that everybody wants but then more women on sets would be heartening.” 

Up next

Neha recently judged a beauty pageant in Punjab and was all to smitten by the warmth and love. “Living in a metro, I have been a very urban Punjabi. Seeing such talent, I am fired to try giddha soon.”

Up next is something on Coke Studio model with traditional instruments, and there is one dream that still eludes, her crossover album. “I am preparing, guess another year before I give it a shot,” says the happy, bubbly, straightforward singer.

Favourite folk singers
Reshma, Gurdas Maan, Surinder Kaur and Noor Jehan

Song on the loop 
God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande 

Books she likes
I am into self-help books like Robin Sharma’s 5AM Club

In free time
I love to sleep, though have been stretching myself lately.

Everything is tough before it becomes easy
“Folk is a pure form, I was shy. But once I started with Latthe Di Chadar, there was no looking back.”

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