MUSICAL fusion

Richa Sharma is prone to repeat herself by coming back to the same points through different conversational routes: she mentions her popular song Sajda from My Name Is Khan as one of her most satisfying numbers four times: when she is talking about her film oeuvre,about music directors,about her latest hits and about her favourite genre 8211; Sufi poetry-based songs. Zor ka jhatka Action Replayy also comes in twice.

Clearly,the lady harps on the market-friendly,with not much attention wasted on less-celebrated but superior numbers like Sona lagda Sadiyaan,the song Naina from the Punjabi film Virsa,or even her non-film beauties,including Hey maa kaari badariya barse in the recent Jagjit Singh devotional album,Goverdhan Giridhari.

Richa Sharma has completed 15 years in the film industry. She came down to Mumbai to sing in a religious song concert and was spotted by Saawan Kumar,who gave her the first break in Mohabbat aisi mehndi hai with Vipin Sachdeva in the 1996 Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya,composed by Aadesh Shrivastava.

The composer later gave her one of her early hits in Dupatte ka pallu Tarkieb and her duet with Amitabh Bachchan,O dharti tarse in Baghban besides a few other songs. But her first hit film was Taal,in which she was noticed for A.R.Rahmans Ni main samajh gayi with Sukhwinder Singh and her small portion in Kahin aag lage lag jaaye. Rahman even employed her voice in the Tamil Alai Payuthey and the Hindi Saathiya Chhalka chhalka re with Mahalakshmi Iyer besides Water.

In the last decade,Richa balanced film and non-film in a fair way,getting popular or hit songs like Tun tunak tun Hera Pheri/ Lalit Sen-Bally Sagoo,Kahin police case na ban jaaye Haasil/Jatin-Lalit and Billo rani with Anand Raaj Anand in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal Pritam. Anand Raaj Anand as composer,however,gave her the two biggest hits,Maahive her final breakthrough from Kaante and Rabba from Musafir,besides the sad version of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loys title-song from Kal Ho Naa Ho. Vishal-Shekhars Jag soona soona laage with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Om Shanti Om was another major hit. But Richa admits that as of today,she has sung most for Pritam.

Lost among all these were some truly sterling numbers that deserved better: Anu Maliks Sajan ghar jaana hai Lajja and Roopkumar Rathods Sajan ghar chali re Woh Tera Naam Tha,both duets with Alka Yagnik,Anu Maliks Aaja maahi with Sunidhi Chauhan and Sukhwinder Singh in Ab Ke Baras and Agle janam mohe bitiya na kijo Umrao Jaan,Himesh Reshammiyas Yun kasi kasi with Sonu Niigaam in Tom Dick And Harry and Monty Sharmas Daras bina nahin chain with Shail Hada in Saawariya.

Her latest non-film project Sai Ki Tasveer on Saregama is a dream realised 8211; of her parents. My father had wished that a certain part of the house be converted into a Sai Baba temple. It was his dream before he passed away. But it needed both money and time. I am glad that his dream is fulfilled now. The music for Sai Ki Tasveer is by Ankit Tewari and the songs have been written by mahant Om Nath Sharma.

The album was launched at the temple on March 25,a day after the mandir ki sthaapanaa. The ceremonies and celebrations went on for two days with a yagna,a havan,a sthan pratishtha and devotional concerts.

Richa is the only professional among six siblings,including two brothers 8211; All of us are singers, as she puts it. I am now working on a Sufi fusion album. Sufi music is very close to me and I feel connected to God when singing such songs,like Sajda from My Name Is Khan. And my friends want me to do a fusion album. I am good at any kind of song, she adds with confidence.

Richa loves todays film music,terming the composers thoughtful and intelligent people who lay a lot of stress on packaging. As for the yesteryear composers,I would have loved to sing for all of them,but I know that it will be a dream unrealized.

The singer has been a stage performer from the age of eight and so loves to interact with a live audience. I have picked up this expertise again from my father, declares Richa,who is now recording for several films like Ready.

rajiv.vijayakarexpressindia.com