Doctor Said She’d Never Sing Again; Then She Sang For A R Rahman

Meet Deepali Sahay, the singing sensation from Main Waapas Aaunga.
Nearly two decades after being voted out of Indian Idol Season 3 and after almost losing her voice to bleeding vocal chords after hosting Season 4, she finally gets the break she deserved with a song for the ages.

Once in a while there comes along a song that becomes so popularly hummable that you encounter it in the most unlikeliest of places like in a hospital rehab unit.

The therapist was humming it as she conducted a physiotherapy session with a patient.

This gives a measure of the all-round appeal of Deepali Sahay’s song Tere Paas Main from Main Waapas Aaunga.

A R Rahman’s music, Irshad Kamil’s soul-stirring lyrics and Sahay’s beautiful voice have crafted a classic that has touched a sweet spot among the audiences.

It holds and remains.

Deepali Sahay’s talking voice is as sweet as her singing voice. Breaking onto the national scene after emerging among the top contestants in the hugely popular Indian Idol Season 3 she went on to host the subsequent season.

The auditions and the show took a toll on her voice. It is unbelievable when she tells me that she almost lost her voice ten years ago. Her vocal chords were bleeding, she could barely speak and the doctors told her she would never be able to sing again.

She overcame that setback, acted in television dramas, did a direction course at FTII, went back to singing and released her songs on her YouTube channel to directly reach people.

Her voice finally reached A R Rahman. On her birthday on January 6, which is also Rahman’s birthday, she got a call to come to Chennai and sing.

Nineteen years after breaking out on Indian Idol, Deepali Sahay got her big break with the Maestro from Madras. It was the first time she was recording with anyone else except her singer husband Aishwarya Nigam who sang Munni Badnaam Hui in Dabbang.

Three weeks since the song released, it has found its way from kitchen stoves to hospital therapy rooms — and that is what music is — it finds you where you are, it lifts your spirits and makes you feel good.

In a conversation with Rediff‘s Archana Masih, Deepali Sahay talks about working and jamming with A R Rahman to Asha Bhosle’s songs, how Main Waapas Aaunga Director Imitiaz Ali is one of the sweetest and most genuine people she has ever met and why Main Waapas Aaunga is a divine experience.

How has it been since your song Tere Paas Main and Main Waapas Aaunga hit the screens?

It has been around 20 days since the song has been out and it feels like 20 years. It is overwhelming, surreal. I am unable to fathom it.

I have never experienced this in my life.

It took some time for the film and the music to register among the audience. It started gradually and then there was this sudden response.

Has the response been overwhelming?

The moment the song came out I was already in that zone because Rahman sir predicted on the Indian Idol show that it will do really well. He said that the song is going to stay.

But I was not prepared that it would get this response. Probably I was too naive and new to this, but whatever is happening with this song and this film — I don’t think it’s normal. It’s divine.

What was your meeting with A R Rahman like?

Rahman sir was not there during the recording. I met him two months after the recording in Chennai.

I’m a very shy person in approaching people and he doesn’t talk much.

When I met him, he himself called me by my name. He said, ‘Hey Deepali, come, let’s walk’.

I thought it’s great that he knows me by name and my face. He told me that the song has come out really wonderful.

It was my dream moment.

By chance, he was there for a little longer and said let’s jam. He played the grand piano and I sang many old Lataji and Ashaji songs. It was a wonderful moment.

What songs were those?

There were quite a lot of songs, but I remember the last song.

He asked me to sing Tu Bin Bataye [Rang De Basanti]. I said that is your song? He said yeah, I said, ‘Of course, I know it!’

He was very happy to hear me sing that song with so much love and enthusiasm. He took out his phone and said record this I want to do something with this. It was so nice.

We jammed on a good four-five songs.

Have you had singers and composers call or message you after this song?

I’m getting a lot of messages on Instagram. Sonu Nigam who I know sent me a voice note. Vishal Mishra spoke to me very nicely. Saleem Merchant called. A lot of people have been really kind.

You called this film a divine experience. Your own journey has had its ups and downs. How do you see the road ahead?

Whatever is happening is happening only because I took care of what I had as a gift — my voice. I used it the right way and that is why this day has arrived.

I have been looking after my throat and keeping my voice intact. My only approach right now is to be the same as I was.

If I am blessed and lucky enough which I am because people are loving this song, I will probably get more work.

I’ve reached a certain age where I cannot be excited all the time and I have to focus on reality. I need to maintain what I have for people to believe in me.

You had spoken about the time when you lost your voice and were told it will be difficult for you to sing again. How did you overcome that setback?

Honestly I couldn’t overcome it then. I was just 18 when a very senior doctor told me that you will not be able to sing.

What had happened to your voice at that time?

I hosted the very next season of Indian Idol [2008-2009]. I was very young and excited. For six months I was working with Indian Idol auditions.

My throat was completely torn, my vocal cords started bleeding. I could not speak a word. My voice was completely gone.

The doctor looked at my reports and said forget singing and I actually believed that if I kept singing, I will lose my talking voice.

I stopped singing completely.

I did only stage shows, if at all.

I was stupid to not realise that my voice had started healing after a year. But there was no one to tell this to me and I decided to leave singing and do acting.

I started acting and then I had no time to think about anything else.

It took me good six years to realise that my voice had healed. I would sing properly, but I never thought that my voice was coming naturally to me. It never occurred that I’m healed.

Unfortunately, I realised that quite late when I was 24-25.

Baba Azmi was looking for singers for a memorial for Kaifi Azmi sahab. My batch mate from FTII took me for the audition. Baba Azmi heard me and said you’re wasting your life doing anything else other than singing.

What shows did you act in?

The first was Badki Malkain which was the first Bhojpuri daily soap. I did a lot of daily soaps on Hindi entertainment like Maharana Pratap, Jai Hanuman etc.

I was acting throughout and doing stage shows simultaneously so I was making good money.

A landmark event that happened was getting selected by Baba Azmi for Kaifi Azmi’s memorial. The other one was getting selected at FTII.

I wanted to learn that craft of direction. I took a year’s break in my hometown Patna and prepared for FTII.

I joined FTII in 2012.

So your life took a turn after being selected by Baba Azmi to sing for the Kaifi Azmi memorial function?

I started riyaz again when he told me to focus on my singing. I did homework for two years along with little acting side by side.

I did riyaz in small pieces. I heard myself and did whatever came to me naturally. I practiced a lot of old Hindi film songs.

One day Urdu Studio, the YouTube channel, called me by chance. A friend of mine was going and she took me along. I sang Aapki Yaad Aati Rahi Raat Bhar [Gaman] which became viral.

I was singing and crying. Hearing that song, Neelesh Mishra reached out for his YouTube channel Gaon Connection. I did around 15 Bhojpuri songs for that YouTube channel. I wanted to do Bhojpuri specifically to show the beauty of Bhojpuri folk.

I wanted my voice to reach the young generation and good musicians. I believe if you love music, lyrics and have a certain kind of class to your work, it will reach people – and it did.

I then started my own YouTube channel, Instagram handle, Facebook account. And it took 10 years for my voice to reach Rahman sir.

Did he actually hear you singing on your YouTube channel?

His assistant did. He sent it to his team saying we can think of using this voice and that is how it started.

What was your experience with Director Imtiaz Ali?

He is the sweetest man alive on this planet. He is very genuine. Imtiaz Ali is so observant about human emotions.

I believe that the scale of the song was changed last minute before the trailer of Main Waapas Aaunga was launched.

That was done in Mumbai. Rahman sir and Imtiaz sir were both there. Rahman sir changed the scale and recorded me himself.

How many times did you go to Chennai for this song recording process?

Twice, and 4-5 times in the Mumbai studio.

What has been the response from your hometown Patna?

My family has watched the movie. Even my chachas who like action movies have watched the film.

School friends and teachers have messaged. My college principal Sister Rashmi from Patna Womens’ College has been supportive and is very happy.

Your husband Aishwarya is a singer himself. What support has he provided?

He has been my pillar of support. What I am experiencing now, he experienced when Munni Badnam Hui became famous.

He literally taught me how to sing on a mike. When I went to Chennai to record for Rahman sir, I was extremely nervous because I had not recorded with anyone else before.

I had only recorded and sang for Aishwarya.

I was nervous and told him over the phone ‘Why didn’t you come with me’ and he said, ‘Are you mad, you are very capable. Just go for it.’

He is a guiding light.

Who are the singers you admire?

Kishore Kumar. The energy in his art. The feel of his voice. He was an actor, director, composer.

Lataji and Ashaji/em> are my gurus.

What is a day in your life like?

I watch one movie every day. I do riyaz. I sing and listen to music.

How do you look after your throat?

I never eat anything directly out of the fridge.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff