SAINDIA AUGUST 2016

MUSIC FEATURE
Neatly done by Neeti
One of Bollywood’s most good
looking playback singers Neeti
Mohan has now started her new
innings as a reality show coach on
television with a show called The
Voice India Kids.
Neeti’s voice has been used very effectively by Indian
music maestro A R Rahman who also was her
inspiration to get into singing. And now Neeti is going
from strength to strength.
Neeti shot to fame over ten years ago when she won
a Tv show called Popstars and then went on to do a
cameo in the Imtiaz Ali directed film Socha Na Tha.
Neeti is not really a typical singer for a particular
song. She believes in versatility. I have been singing
all kinds of songs. I have not restricted myself to a
certain type of a song – Be it bhajans, folk songs or
Bollywood numbers – I have done it all. And earlier
when I was in college, I have done everything from
acting, dancing and doing plays as well,” she admits
stating that it was tough to decide what she wanted
to take up as a career.
Having done a role in Socha Na Tha, which like the
name of the film was done for a lark, the pretty singer
admits that she does not know when she would do
her next film.
“I will act, if I do get a very good offer. But then now
I am very sure that I want to concentrate on my singing
at the moment,” she says honestly.
Neeti has done playback for all top stars in Bollywood
today from Alia Bhatt to Deepika Padukone
and even Anushka Sharma. But then she says she
would have loved to do playback for the legendary
Madhuri Dixit. “She is one person who I always
wanted to do playback for. I remember that I had
voiced one of Madhuriji’s Jhalak Dikhla Jaa promos.
It left me wanting more,” says Neeti.
The actress feels that she has her own style. “I am
not like those people who says that she wants to
try and imitate someone. I have my own distinctive
style. People like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle
are legends, but one should not imitate them. You
can learn from them, but not copy them,” she says.
Neeti who will be judging singing kids on this show
feels that life has come a full circle. “I started my
career winning a reality show and now I see myself
judging another,” she says.
The singer says that music came to her when she was
hearing the songs of the AR Rahman composed film
Roja when she was in boarding school. “I only used
to hear the songs of Roja at the school. My friends
thought I had gone cuckoo. I took more interest in
music only after hearing A R Rahman’s music,”
smiles the songstress.
Having said that, Neeti also loves to chill with her
two other sisters Shakti and Mukti. Both of them are
dancers and while Shakti is now going to be acting
in a film directed by Remo D Souza after judging
a dance reality show, Mukti Mohan is also a dance
show winner. “We spend some time enjoying ourselves
when we are together and there are times
when we watch The Kapil Sharma Show on Tv as it
is great entertainment,” says Neeti.
TV for Neeti is only a pastime. And not a profession.
“Judging a show is different, but I cannot act on TV
at this time as it consumes a lot of time. But if it
is a great offer, I do not rule it out,” she keeps her
options open.
The Delhi girl clearly works hard at all her songs.
“In fact when I was voicing for Anushka’s character
in Bombay Velvet, I went to jazz clubs and heard the
music. I stopped doing anything connected to Bollywood
and only concentrated on the kind of songs
used in the film Bombay Velvet. I saw what people
wore etc at these places. And when I recorded the
songs for the film, I had actually dressed up in retro
attire to get the mood right for the songs,” she says,
clearly indicating that Bollywood has a great talent
just waiting to take off big.
Bollywood playback singer turns judge
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