When Neha Kakkar Earned Only Rs 50 A Day By Singing Bhajans; A Look Back At India’s Most Loved Singer’s Early Struggles Before Fame

Neha Kakkar is indeed one of the most talented singers in the industry. She paved her path with grit and determination in the music industry. Today (June 6, 2024), the Manali Trance singer turns 35. While Neha has now become a famous face in the music scene, her life has not always been the same. From a young age, Neha sang to financially support her family, earning 50 rupees a day singing devotional songs.

Neha Kakkar’s Struggle

Neha was born in Rishikesh. Later in the 1990s, she and her family moved to Delhi in search of a better life. Neha began performing at local events and religious gatherings at the age of 4. In 2004, Neha and her brother Tony moved to Mumbai. Two years later, at the age of eighteen, she auditioned for the second season of Indian Idol but was eliminated early in the competition.

When Neha Earned Only Rs 50 A Day

When Neha and her sister commenced singing for chowki and jagrata, they would earn Rs 50. Neha Kakkar’s musical journey began at the tender age of 3 or 4 when she sang at jagrans alongside her siblings Sonu and Tony Kakkar. She didn’t receive any formal music training initially. Until the age of 16, Neha continued performing at various jagrans, which provided significant financial support to her family. In 2005, Neha Kakkar participated in the second season of the singing competition Indian Idol. However, she faced early elimination from the show.

Neha later made her Bollywood debut as a chorus singer in the film Meerabai Not Out. In her professional career, Neha has sung various hit songs such as Second Hand Jawaani, Sunny Sunny, London Thumakda, Kar Gayi Chull, Kala Chashma, Garmi, and many others. Apart from singing, Neha has also judged numerous TV singing reality shows, including Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs 2017, Indian Idol Seasons 10, 11, and 12, along with Superstar Singer 3, and more.