Shubha Mudgal: Haven't heard Laaga
There's a lot more than what meets the eye with Shubha Mudgal. In her own subtle ways, she has broken stereotypes. Dressed in a sari, she came on to our small screens and made most of us sit up and listen. But her foray into pop music has been on her own terms. So when we heard her in the latest Yashraj production – Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, we couldn't help asking why. So in an interview, which first began on an instant messenger online and then over the phone, she spoke about her music, the tradition and a rather revolutionary insurance cover, she and husband Aneesh Pradhan are conceptualising.
Your rendition of Laaga chunari mein daag is quite unconventional. What do you make of this reinterpretation of the classic?
Why do you find my rendering unconventional? I ask because I want to know what you find different.
It seemed like the music arrangement was almost overshadowing your voice. And having the music overshadow a singer's voice isn't exactly conventional, is it? Not at least in mainstream Bollywood…
Then this is a question that should be addressed to Shantanu Moitra, the composer and perhaps Pradeep Sarkar, the director of the film. I was merely asked to render the song and at the time of the dubbing there were only basic chords that were played on a synth. I had no idea that Meeta was going to sing on the same track either. I was told to sing a few lines of the old Manna De rendered classic adlib, or without a regular tempo and I did that. In fact, apart from a few seconds that play on the promos on television, I have no idea of what the song or few lines I rendered sound like in the film. When I dubbed no other effects as such were added, so whatever has been done thereafter is completely the composer's work. Having said that, I feel it is important to listen to the song with the film. Since the song was made for the film, this 'unconventional' rendering or arrangement may work with the film. But since the film is yet to release, I guess we'll have to wait for that.
