Dandiya route to fame

NERVOUS AND shy, she waits patiently for the volley of questions. Her infectious smile puts one completely at ease. And one realises that she is still a child trying to grapple with her new found fame and fortune.

Pretty young thing. That is how one could describe Falguni Pathak, the latest to join the bandwagon of Indipop artistes who stem from every nook and corner of this talent-rich country. This 20-something "dandiya pop queen" captured the imagination of the music-loving public with her very first album, "Yaad Piya Ki" and the video for title track, with very characteristic dance movements.

In Chennai to promote her second mega hit (autograph sessions at Musicworld and Landmark and a live show), "Maine Payal Hai Chhankai" (this album has sold over a million copies), Falguni spoke about her early musical influences and her brush with success and fame.

This cherubic "tomboy" attired in her trademark trousers, red T- shirt with jacket, (she has never worn a salwar kameez or saree in all her life!) as she calls herself, took to music as fish takes to water. Despite having no formal training whatsoever. "At home, the radio was on during all the waking hours. I used to listen to songs and sing along. I also took part in music competitions in school and college," says this Gujarati-born Mumbai-based commerce graduate.

She took the stage for the first time at the age of ten. And how! By performing on Independence Day on board the ship, the INS Udayagiri. "Actually, my music teacher in school was my neighbour and it was through him that I actually got that opportunity," muses the youngest of four daughters. The song was "Laila Main Laila" from the film. "Qurbani!"

Why then did she decide to specialise in dandiya and garbha music, one wants to know. She tells you, "Being a Gujarati, garbha was an intergral part of my life. I used to sing garbha songs even as a child. But then, it was more instrumental (for the rhythms), with vocals being restricted to chorus singing. I was part of the chorus group. Someone noticed my performance, and asked me to sing a Gujarati song. In fact for the past eight years, I have my own group which performs dandiya." Falguni has for the last four years been training her voice under Bahudeep Jaipurwale.

As most of the dandiya numbers are folk based, it has been easy for Falguni to pick and choose her numbers. But for her pop album, she has a core group working - writing the songs, setting the music and co-ordinating the whole effort - like Lalit Sen (one half of the Jatin-Latin duo), her agent Radhika and lyricist Gupta, who put their heads together to cut an album that takes nearly six months to complete. And who might be her inspiration, one wonders. Pat comes the reply, "Asha Bhonsle." She also loves to listen to Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar, ghazals and Western pop. She is a big fan of A. R. Rahman too. She reveals, "When I sing his version of 'Vande Mataram,' I get goosebumps." Now that this dulcet voiced singer has made a name for herself on the Indipop scene, is it not time for destination Bollywood and playback singing? "I have not given it a serious thought. May be in the near future. I want to concentrate on what I am doing now." Currently, Falguni is busy shooting her second video for the song, "Mar Jaani Jhanjhar."

SAVITHA PADMANABHAN

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