'Halla re' girl Shweta Pandit

Unlike her contemporaries, "Halla re" girl Shweta Pandit, who hit big time with "Neal 'N' Nikki", confesses that she does not aim very high. She just wants to keep doing good work, singing good songs.

Post-"Neal 'N' Nikki" - the film was a complete washout but the music was a hit with "Halla re" and the title song still finding place on the music charts - the 18 something Shweta has become a force to reckon with. In fact, there are many who hold the view that she is the most happening young female singer after Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal.

The Mumbai girl, in first year college, handles her success wisely. "I don't think I am very popular - when you think sky is the limit you land up on a tree. I have a long way to go. I don't have big goals, but I have that urge to keep doing better work."

Ever since she can remember, her first love has been music. "I always wanted to become a singer and I think destiny also wanted me to be a singer.

"My entire family is in music. My grandfather was known as Sangeet Acharya Pandit Pratap Narayan and my father is a tabla player. My sister Shradha Pandit also sings for films.

"I was four when I started my training. My grandfather trained both my sister and me. He is my guruji."

Shweta started her singing career as a child artiste with Mani Ratnam's "Anjali" where she sang the title song. Later she lent her voice for "Raju Chacha" and "Saaz". But her big break came with Aditya Chopra's "Mohabbatein" where she crooned five songs, including the hit "Pairon mein bandhan".

She was only 12 at the time!

"I got my first break as a lead singer in Aditya Chopra's 'Mohabbatein'. I was only 12. I sang five songs. Since my name was coming along with Lata ji in the film, I considered 'Mohabbatein' a blessing of god and my grandfather. This film will always remain very special to me."

It has been only about six years since "Mohabbatein", a comparatively short time during which the youngster has already managed to work with leading music composers like Jatin-Lalit, Salim-Sulaiman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Rajesh Roshan.

Her list of songs is impressive too - "Naach naach ke" ("Naach"), "Ishq khudai" ("Rudraaksh"), "Sindoori aasman" ("James"), and "Chore ki baatein" ("Fight Club"). She cut an album of remixed Hindi classic songs with Times Music titled "Aplam Chaplam".

The youngster was also part of Shah Rukh Khan's Temptation 2005 show and toured with the star to Delhi and Mauritius.

"I was performing at Zayed Khan's wedding. The Moranis (owners of Cineyug) were also at the wedding. They liked my performance and contacted me for the show. I did two shows with Shah Rukh."

She appears to have had quite an easy ride but denies it emphatically.

"It seems from my resume that I got everything on a platter but it wasn't as easy as it appears. I had to be very patient - I had to give several auditions. I saw my parents struggling a lot. I knew I have to start from the scratch. God's been with me and helped me to achieve everything I have today."

Talking about the notorious industry of which she is a part, she says: "I don't think it treats everyone the same way. If you are good at your work everybody will love you and want you. Because this industry runs only on talent."

Shweta manages to walk the tightrope between career and studies. "I am in my first year of graduation and majoring in psychology. I am doing it through correspondence. Earlier I was in Meethibai college."

Watching movies is a favourite pastime for the singer.

Shweta, who has films like "Teesri Aankh", "Shiva", "Boxer" and "Get Set Go" in her kitty, is a diehard fan of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. She enjoys Indian classical music too and is very fond of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.