‘I’m Not Comfortable With Wearing A Bikini’

‘I
will
never
go
against
my
comfort
zone
in
terms
of
outfits.
So,
I
refused

Housefull.’

Known
for
her
striking
voice
as
well
as
acting
talent,

Tia
Bajpai
is
making
waves
with
her
latest
single,

Jugni,
which
has
millions
of
views
on
YouTube.

But
Tia’s
journey
has
not
been
a
walk
in
the
park.

She
has
faced
her
share
of
challenges,
including
the
harsh
realities
of
an
industry
often
overshadowed
by
nepotism.

“While
it’s
wrong
to
blame
insiders
for
their
family
background,
there’s
no
doubt
that
being
an
insider
has
tremendous
advantages
compared
to
being
someone
who’s
not,”
Tia
tells



Rediff.com
Contributor

Mohnish
Singh.

Jugni
has
been
received
really
well.

As
an
artist,
when
your
work
is
loved
and
appreciated
by
one
and
all,
it
truly
feels
heartwarming.

A
lot
of
hard
work
has
gone
into
making
this
track,
and
I
couldn’t
have
asked
for
more.

How
did
the
song
come
into
being?

Music
and
art
is
usually
a
reflection
of
who
we
are
and
what
we
feel
around
us.

I
rely
a
lot
on
my
sensibilities
when
it
comes
to
creating
music
for
my
audience
and
that’s
how
the
lyrics
happened.

It
took
me
a
long
time
to
finalise
the
lyrics
and
after
that,
the
collaboration
with
Arian
Romal,
who
has
composed
the
music
for
the
song,
happened.

No
venture
is
possible
without
a
successful
collaboration
and
I
am
fortunate
that
my
team
had
the
same
vision
regarding
the
song.

Watch:
Tia
Bajpai
sings

Jugni

You
first
rose
to
fame
as
a
contestant
on

Sa
Re
Ga
Ma
Pa
in
2005.
How
do
you
think
reality
shows
have
changed
over
the
years?
Are
they
still
real?

Well,
I
am
not
sure
about
the
‘reality’
part
of
it.
A
lot
of
things
have
already
been
said
and
written
about
it.

What
I
can
truly
say
is
that
a
music
reality
show
doesn’t
guarantee
you
success.

Yes,
you
will
get
that
initial
boost
in
your
career;
your
Reels
and
YouTube
channel
may
start
going
viral.
But
what
after
that?

I
feel
that
in
today’s
times,
a
lot
of
artists
lack
the
recall
value,
which
wasn’t
the
case
back
in
the
’90s
or
even
2000s.

My
motive
behind
every
song
is
to
always
create
that
recall
value
which
will
prompt
my
audience
to
engage
with
my
tracks
again
and
again.

Sometimes,
the
results
happen
the
way
I
want
and
sometimes
it
doesn’t.
But
then
that’s
part
and
parcel
of
the
industry.
You
can’t
take
success
or
failure
seriously.

It’s
important
to
focus
and
move
on
quickly.

If
given
a
chance,
would
you
like
to
be
a
judge
on
a
singing
reality
show?

It
would
be
an
honour.

If
there
is
any
reality
show
and
the
makers
feel
that
I
would
do
justice
as
a
judge
and
add
value
to
their
show,
why
not?

Judging
young
and
raw
talent
and
preparing
them
for
the
industry
would
be
my
little
way
of
giving
it
back
to
my
industry
and
the
arts
community.

From

Sa
Re
Ga
Ma
Pa,
you
transitioned
into
acting,
starting
with
the
popular
ZEE
TV
show

Ghar
Ki
Lakshmi
Betiyann.
What
inspired
you
to
take
that
leap
from
being
a
singer
to
becoming
an
actress?

There
was
not
a
particular
moment
that
made
me
do
that.

As
an
artist,
right
from
my
childhood,
I
have
been
inclined
towards
both
music
and
acting.

I
have
trained
myself
for
both.

So,
if
I
am
confident
enough
to
do
a
decent
job
in
both,
why
not?

You
starred
in
the
film,

Haunted-3D.

Yes,
there
were
multiple
rounds
of
auditions,
look
tests
and
everything
involved
in
the
usual
casting
process.

What
worked
for
me
was
that
I
kept
my
expectations
minimalistic.

I
was
entrusted
with
a
lot
of
faith
by
my
director
and
was
told
that
the
role
was
tailor-made
for
me.
So
I
had
to
do
a
decent
job
to
keep
up
with
that
faith.

I
am
happy
it
worked
out
the
way
I
wanted.

After

Haunted-3D
and

1920:
Evil
Returns,
you’ve
been
selective
with
your
projects
and
have
remained
relatively
away
from
the
limelight.
What
factors
contributed
to
that
decision?

If
you
see
my
work
portfolio,
it
has
always
been
about
quality
ahead
of
quantity.

I
don’t
want
to
be
remembered
for
hundreds
of
songs
and
movies,
the
majority
of
which
don’t
have
a
recall
value
among
the
audience.

I
would
rather
have
a
lot
less
in
terms
of
numbers
but
the
quality
should
be
such
that
in
terms
of
sheer
impact,
it
is
equivalent
to
the
work
of
a
lot
of
people
who
are
ahead
of
me.

I
need
complete
satisfaction
before
saying
yes
to
anything.

God
has
put
me
in
a
position
to
choose,
so
I
am
not
in
any
rush.

You
were
offered

Housefull
2.
What
led
you
to
reject
that
film?

Yes,
I
was
offered
one
of
the
films
of
the

Housefull
franchise
and
was
happy
that
it
came
my
way.

But
I
wasn’t
comfortable
with
the
idea
of
wearing
a
bikini.
It
was
beyond
my
comfort
zone
and
I
will
never
go
against
my
comfort
zone
to
that
extent
in
terms
of
outfits.

So,
it
didn’t
work
out
and
I
refused
the
film.

When
you
look
back
at
your
journey,
were
there
moments
when
you
felt
your
lack
of
industry
connections
hindered
your
opportunities?

Absolutely.
I
am
a
self-made
person
and
whatever
I
have
been
able
to
do
for
myself
professionally,
it
is
a
direct
result
of
my
hard
work.

No
one
has
set
things
up
for
me
on
a
platter.

Connections
certainly
help
if
you
are
someone
who’s
born
in
the
film
industry.

But
then,
I
had
two
options:
Either
crib
about
the
fact
that
I
wasn’t
an
insider
in
the
industry
or
do
my
best
with
whatever
I
have.
I
chose
the
latter.

We
can’t
control
where
we
are
born,
right?

While
it’s
wrong
to
blame
insiders
for
their
family
background,
there’s
no
doubt
that
being
an
insider
has
tremendous
advantages
compared
to
being
someone
who’s
not.

Being
from
a
film
family
helps
in
getting
the
initial
bit
of
work.
Also,
you
get
multiple
opportunities
even
if
you
fail,
while
an
outsider
won’t.

But
then,
let’s
face
it,
that’s
how
it
has
always
been
and
that’s
how
it
will
be. 

I
am
not
someone
who
will
blame
nepotism.

What
kind
of
roles
or
projects
would
excite
you
most?

Like
I
said,
I
don’t
believe
in
limiting
myself
to
a
certain
type,
be
it
with
acting
or
music.
Whatever
it
is,
it
has
to
challenge
me
as
an
artist.

The
joy
of
doing
something
right
after
you
previously
felt
that
you
can’t
do
it
is
the
best
feeling
for
an
artist.