Despite her National Award, Rekha Bhardwaj remains unknown to many. Arunima Mishra talks to the person behind the voice
The phone hasn’t stopped ringing ever since Rekha Bhardwaj won the 58th National Award for best playback singer (female) for Badi dheere jali raina (Ishqiya). Her fans think she is good enough for a Grammy; Bhardwaj’s dream is more “local” — she wants to sing a raga in the style of her Indore gharana. “Every gharana has a style to represent a raga. Being a student of music, my ultimate goal is to sing a full-fledged khayal-based raga starting with the alaap, then the slow bandish, improvised and followed by antara, taana, drut, a thumri or after the khayal a bhajan and conclude it with a tarana.”
For an artiste who has earned accolades for her work in Bollywood (including the Filmfare award in 2010 for the best female playback singer for Sasural genda phool in Delhi 6), Bhardwaj’s position is rather unique — she is still not a household name. In fact, there are many who think her Ek wo din bhi the from Chachi 420 was sung by Asha Bhosle. But her work has attracted critical and popular acclaim, particularly Namak ishq ka in Omkara, with lyrics by Gulzar and music by her husband and director, Vishal Bhardwaj.
Bhardwaj, who took 11 years to complete her first album Ishqa Ishqa, is planning to release its successor early next year. She is also planning a couple of bandishes as well as an album of thumris, “where I will sing Begum Akhtar’s songs in my own way.” And, overwhelmed by the response when she recited Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry at a concert in March this year, she now wants to give encores across India, as well as recite nazms of Urdu poet Bashir Badr.
Sufi and Abida Parveen make her complete, she says. “Parveen sings at a different level, where you go into a trance.” She is learning jazz and blues as well, and wants to jam with international musicians. “Besides collaboration, there’s scope for improvising Indian music if you learn various other forms,” she adds. Bhardwaj has worked with most popular music composers, but has sung the most number of songs for her husband. While recording for AR Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer told her: “I can see your smile, and I want to hear you smile.”
Bhardwaj has strong roots in classical music. “My father used to take us to concerts in Delhi when we were children. I have been greatly influenced by the likes of Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Rasiklal Andharia and Jitendra Abhishek. I was also very lucky to have Pandit Amarnathji, a disciple of Ustad Amir Khan, as my guru,” she says. Gulzar, who wrote the lyrics for her first album on the sets of Maachis (1996), is another influence. “I've got my reading habit from Gulzarsaab. He has made me what I am. He has made me believe that one has to cleanse one's inner self as everything affects creativity, and your negativity reflects in your songs.”
On the artiste who has recorded just 30 to 35 songs contemporary Usha Uthup says: “She is a terrific singer, and she belongs to this time when people are opening up. This wasn’t the scenario when I used to sing.” Some industry insiders believe Bhardwaj is one of those for whom songs have been composed specifically. Like Ranaji mhare gusse main aaye from Gulaal, says music director Piyush Mishra, “You have Bhardwaj in your mind, and you know only she can only do justice to a song like this.”
