[Pooja Gaitonde talking to ummid.com in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of NCPUL Urdu Kitab Mela organised in Malegaon. (Photo: ummid.com)]
Malegaon: An emerging young talent and classical singer, Pooja Gaitonde, warned the youngsters against running for television reality shows saying they might bring them immediate fame but are actually disastrous for a long-term and sustainable career.
Pooja, who besides being a quality classical singer has the distinction of composing her own tune, said that she too had many offers from the small screen but turned them down due to the reasons cited above.
"They are actually proving disastrous for the young and emerging talent. The reality TV shows bring immediate fame, something which youngsters don't realise under the glamour of publicity and quick popularity", Pooja said while talking to ummid.com on the sidelines of the recently concluded All India Urdu Kitab Mela organised by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) in Malegaon.
"Classical singing is all about 'Riyaz' and the hard work it requires. You cannot attain the needed skill in the field if you are poor in 'Riyaz'", she said while advising the youngsters not to run for fame.
"Don't run for fame. You become a master of the field and fame will run for you", Pooj, who herself do 'Riyaz' for at least four to six hours every day, said.
Interestingly, Pooja , who is a Maharashtrian born and grown up in Mumbai, is also learning the Urdu language – something which very few people do in the time of 'short-cuts'.
"Accurate pronunciation is the key to becoming a successful Ghazal singer. Learning Urdu is necessary not only to feel the true sense of Ghazals but also to attain perfection in the language accent and pronunciation", Pooja, who recently bagged the first prize at a national level inter-university singing competition participated by 181 students from as many colleges, said.
In her early career, Pooja was inspired by Begum Akhtar and Mehdi Hasan, and currently planning own album with Pankaj Udhas, but finds Mohammad Rafi as one of the greatest and toughest to emulate and follow.
"In Hindustani music, 'Meend' is considered as the most difficult part of classical performance. But the command Mohammad Rafi had over it was reserved only for him. One can match Mohammad Rafi's voice and tune but not this art", she said.
She considers 'Dil e Nadan Tujhe hua kya hai' and 'Anjuman Anjuman Shanasai' as two of her favourite ghazals for which she too earned applause.
"My best performance so far was in Mumbai when I sang the two ghazals in front of a packed auditorium and was greeted with a standing ovation", she said.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
