I want to sing item number

I am an aspiring playback singer. Two years back, I got the contact number of singer Shubha Mudgal through a friend. Shubhaji has been able to successfully fuse classical music with Indi-pop to deliver some very good songs in the past. I was extremely thrilled at the prospect of meeting her in person. With a request to train me in classical music, I called up Shubhaji. She asked me to meet up at her Khar residence and I couldn’t wait for the moment of truth.

My dad and I were seated in her drawing room when she came in and greeted us. After some initial talk, she asked me why I wanted to learn music and what I wanted to sing in future. I said, “I want to be a playback singer and be part of mainstream Bollywood singing.” She asked me to sing. I did. After some words of appreciation for my voice and singing skills she said, “You know, all youngsters unfortunately want to sing Bollywood songs these days. I am really appalled at what you said. Not one person says, ‘I want to sing classical.’” She went on about how much important it is for youngsters like me to abstain from remixes; how much item numbers have spoilt Indian culture and what harm contemporary songs have done to Indian music.

The other day, I heard Shubhaji’s voice… in an item song called ‘Bichua’ for Rakhi Sawant in the film 1920. Well, looks like Shubhaji only likes to preach, not practice!