Kolkata: Veteran singer Usha Uthup entertained and regaled the audience on Day 2 of the India Today Conclave 2021 East being held at ITC Royal Bengal.
Hare Krishna Hare Ram is a song that has become synonymous with Usha Uthup. But does the song have a specific connotation now, especially as West Bengal prepares for elections? she was asked.
“I am scared to sing Hare Krishna Hare Ram now. And then there was also Hari Om Hari. There were so many songs I sang with god names! (laughs),” Usha said jokingly, as a burst of laughter filled the auditorium.
Usha Uthup was on the stage for a session titled Nostalgic Notes: Let’s do cha cha cha: India’s original rock star.
Talking about her fashion journey, her iconic bindi and Kanjeevarm saree during the session, she said, “It started in 1969, but in those days, of course, I couldn’t afford Kanjeevaram sarees. I come from a very middle-class family, my father was in the police service. I come from a family of six children and we were very happy with the two pairs of uniforms that we had,” reported IndiaToday.in.
“I started my career as a nightclub singer. So, I was not born into playback singing, I was more about live performances and night clubbing. So, whoever heard that, like RD Burman or Shankar Jaikishan or Lakshmikant Pyarelal, they had heard me singing. They had heard about this Madrasi girl in a nightclub and they came to listen to me and they gave me a chance to perform. Dev Anand sahab, Shashi Kapoor, RD Burman, all watched my performance. After the show was over, Dev Anand sahab came to me and asked whether I would sing in his project, Hare Rama Hare Krishna. That’s how the whole thing started,” she added.
Usha said she made it a point to break out of the stereotype of female Bollywood singers. “I have worked with Srijit Mukerji in several projects, and I am grateful that I got to do that because that’s the only way you can break out of the stereotype. It is very important to strike a balance,” the singer was quoted as saying.
