Heeramandi’s ‘Ek Baar Dekh Lijiye’ Singer Kalpana Gandharv on Playback Singers Not Getting Paid Enough: ‘Thoda Kam…’ – Exclusive

Heeramandi: ‘Ek Baar Dekh Lijiye‘ elicits a range of feelings in the audience and flows naturally into Heeramandi‘s story. After recording the song 1.5 years prior, Kalpana Gandharv revealed how she was given the chance to record the song for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama. She revealed that the director heard her at a mehfil. He later asked her to come down to the office. She sang many songs for him and in no time he handed her the song. Kalpana spoke exclusively to India.com about her first-ever experience of working with SLB, the pay situation of the singers in the Hindi cinema industry and more.

‘Ek Baar Dekh Lijiye’ Singer Kalpana on Working With Sanjay Leela Bhansali

The ‘Ek Baar Dekh Lijiye‘ singer agreed that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is indeed a hard task master on the set. She said, “He is very humble and sweet also. He is very passionate about his work also. Unko yeh tha ki best se best ho. Aur aapka best who nikalwa hi lete kuch bhi karke.”

Kalpana who has collaborated with A.R. Rahman, Sukhwinder Singh, Mohit Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Sunidhi Chauhan, Vishal Mishra, Raj Shekhar, Manoj Muntashir, and other industry titans, revealed how rewarding it was for her to work with SLB for the first time. “Meri awaaz logon tak pahuch rahi hai who kaafi hai. And working with ‘the Sanjay Leela Bhansali’ is more of an award for me. Baaki mein gaane gaati jaaun, logo se pyaar milta rahega (sic), ” she added.

Singer Kalpana Gandharv on Not Getting Paid Enough

Kalpana, who studied Hindustani classical music under Smt. Johri Ritu and her elder brother and composer Prithvi Gandharv, addressed the situation of the singers in the industry. She said, “Live shows ka scenario alag hai and recording ka alag. There’s so much of competition going that aapko ek film mein gaana milna itne hazaro lako logo mein aapki awaaz ko chuna aur who aapko gaana dete hai. Obviously, you’ll make money out of it. Aisa nahi hai ki bilkul milta nahi but comparatively thoda kam hota hai. But fir woh par kaam itna badha hota waha paise ki itni ehmiyat nahi hoti. Jahan par aapka gaana araha hota hai, you know your entire career is on that song (sic).”

Beyond Bollywood, Kalpana Gandharv’s voice has become more well-known in the marketing industry thanks to jingles for Cadbury Dairy Milk and Britannia Nutri Choice Biscuits.

‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar‘ is an epic tale of love, power, retribution, and independence, set against the backdrop of the 1940s Indian freedom fight. The series explores the cultural realities of Heeramandi via the lives of courtesans and their clientele, providing an engaging story that has captured the attention of viewers all over the world. In addition to Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Sharmin Segal in important parts, the series also marks Bhansali’s debut in the digital realm.