Himani sheds light on singing reality shows

Himani Kapoor

, who is today one of the most versatile and accomplished singers in the Indian music industry, started her journey in showbiz by winning a singing reality show. In an exclusive chat with ETimes, Himani shared her thoughts on the changing dynamics of

reality shows

, her admiration for actresses like Sushmita Sen, her journey in the music industry so far and her exciting new venture into songwriting.

Excerpts.
You have lent your voice to a number of actresses in the industry. Do you still have a bucket list of actresses you want to sing for?
I have been a fan of Sushmita Sen since my childhood and I love her. I love the way she answered the questions during Miss Universe and the way she carries herself, the way she looks, the way she talks and answers, the way she acts. The best part was that I made my singing debut with 'Chingari' for Adesh Srivastav ji and the film starred Sushmita Sen.
Apart from her, I never thought about singing for anybody, everything just organically happened. Not actresses but I have a bucket list of music directories I want to work with. There is AR Rahman sir, Vishal Bhardwaj sir and many others. So there are still some boxes to be checked.

You have been a part of several singing reality shows in your career. A lot has been said about dramas created for TRPs on the shows. What are your thoughts on the same?
This is a very vast topic, actually. When reality shows first came into being in 2004-2005, it clicked because the concept was novel. So, during that time, the hypes which were created for the TRPs were not that intense. In our time, they also gave importance to talent. They were very involved in choosing the songs for the contestants and the contestants were given liberty to choose their own songs, to do variations and to showcase their talent.

However, now, reality shows create dramas about contestants' monetary situations or about their family whose dreams they are carrying and putting forward. Because of all these talks and dramas, the focus from the singing gets shifted. The contestants also start thinking on those lines only then. I feel that the main focus in the reality shows should be on the talents and the songs.
Many singers and music directors have earlier spoken about music mafias. Have you ever experienced any such thing in your career?
Fortunately, I have never come across or experienced any such thing in my career where music mafias are involved and I also do not know who these music mafias are, honestly.
How do you look back at your journey so far?
My journey has been a rollercoaster ride. It started when I was 7 years old and my father discovered that I sing really well. And then he put all his efforts into dropping me to the music class, picking me up from there, taking me to the various competitions and then finally Sa Re Ga Ma Pa happened. After Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, I got into the playback singing scene. I sang for lots of films. I did my world tour with Himesh Reshammiya ji in 2007. I have had a lot of experience since a very young age. I was touring the world for performances.
After I got married in 2011, there was a huge break of five years in my music career because the priorities had changed at that time. I also became a mother and after five years, I restarted my journey. I also had a separation from my ex-husband and I had to restart again. Basically. I had to start from scratch. I had to struggle again. I had to basically work harder than I did in 2005. I came to Mumbai with my daughter in 2016 after my separation and restarted my journey and by God's grace I am where I had left it. In fact, it's better now.
What's next?
I have recently started writing songs. I am writing and my friend and singer

Prajakta Shukre

is composing. We are making lots of new originals. We are grateful to God for making it happen. We are really excited.