Life after Kajra Re - Alisha Chinai

Life after Kajra Re

Ritujaay Ghosh

Kolkata, March 25, 2007

Sourav Ganguly is the not the only one who silenced his critics with his comeback. She is certainly the Sourav Ganguly of the Indian music industry who made an equally successful comeback with her song Kajra re, just when her critics had just begun to erase her name from the fraternity. We are talking of Alisha Chinai, who dared to give disco a new look with her songs in Bollywood in the Eighties.

Two years down the line Alisha feels her second innings as a playback singer has much more exciting and encouraging than the first one. Ask her why and she says, "I could not have done songs with such variety as I am doing now. Not you can find me singing for all genres," says Alisha and she believes the credit largely vests with today's music directors who have spotted her talent and utilized it.

"I must give credit to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who not only had faith in my voice but also utilized my voice for a song which most others wouldn't have dared to," says Alisha.

The singer was in the City of Joy to attend a press conference as a part of the Indian Idol judge's panel. Though her earlier career had earned her the tag of 'Baby Doll' and the 'Indian Madonna' but Alisha now finds herself to have changed completely.

She is satisfied that her creative satisfaction as a singer is ultimately getting fulfilled and two years down the line after Kajra re she is one of the most sought after names with hits like No entry, Aaj ki raat among others.

Versatility is the key to success and Alisha believes that is what her helped her survive in the race in Bollywood where a singer like Sunidhi Chauhan is already being tagged as the next Alisha. What has Alisha to say about this?

"She is a talented singer and she too is versatile. I have heard that music directors in the past have asked her to emulate my voice but I think every singer has his her own identity. Sunidhi has a gifted voice and her originality is her biggest strength," says the singer who is happy to notice that Indipop, which was experiencing a low acceptance level among the audience is finally back.

"Every genre has highs and lows but with artists like Shaan and Sunidhi around Indipop is there to survive for long," she says. The audiences though haven't seen too many Indipop artists making it big in Bollywood. Alisha is one of the few among them who has made it big tough she says a lot of it depends on the music directors.

"Today's music directors are much more versatile because they listen to all genres of music. This is why I am enjoying more than what I did two decades ago. I would have done the song Kaate nahi kaati differently had I done it today," says Alisha.

Who can forget this song of hers with Kishore Kumar. And with the sequel of Mr India already being made Alisha is excited.

"I think they should take me this time too because Mr India is incomplete without me. The only person I will miss is Kishoreda. He was one of the few who really appreciated my voice even then," says she.