Interview: Rekha Bhasin

Rekha Bhasin joins us for the first interview at Bhasination.


So how does it feels to be the mother of Neha Bhasin?

I am proud to be the mother of Neha. She is making full use of the talent which God has bestowed on her inspite of not having any godfather in the music world.

She doesn’t have a godfather but read somewhere that she has inherited music from her maternal grandma. Is it so?

Yes my mamma too is a very good singer. She has a very soothing voice.

Wow. Thats really awesome. That makes neha third generation singer in Bhasin family

Yes, but professionally she is the first.

Of course, and Channel V deserves credit for it else we wont have got talenthouses like her and anushka manchanda

Viva happened to her at time when she was ripe for an opening in the music world.

Yes it did. And she delivered. It was the first girls only band and instilled hopes in millions of other artists. I am sure it was a big moment for u all

We were all excited when Shubhaji came to our house and announced her as one of the winners .She promised us that they would take great care of them and kaput after a couple of days she was out of our lives and one of the famous Viva Band .I was very happy that finally her dream was coming true. She always wanted to be a singer since she was 9yrs old.

Well but then Viva disbanded. You all must have been pained at this?

Pained is not the right word . Disappointed yes but nothing is forever it is better to move on and one always finds greener pastures.

Exactly! Plus people liked Neha more in Tabaah. So it was 'Everything happens for good' sorta stuff. Today she is more popular than Viva was at its peak

We are always grateful to Viva for that was the opening to the desired world.Viva gave her popularity . Tabaah gave her satisfaction and outlet as a solo artist. Her fans liked talent.

Yes. And that includes me. But the next peak after Viva was Fashion where she became voice of Priyanka Chopra and the song topped all the charts for a month or so. A newspaper reviewing music of the movie went on to say that she and Mohit might be the next Udit-Alka

I am glad of the fame the song of Fashion and Mere brother ki dulhan gave her but more satisfying is the fact that she did justice to whatever song was given to her in many languages of India. People appreciated her voice,her singing and her looks.

Do u like neha to be compared to Lady Gaga and JLo?

Lady Gaga and Jlo are both very good an internationally acclaimed artists. So when people compare Neha to them both they are honouring her. But on personal level I do not like comparisons, whatsoever. Every person is an individual with tastes ,talent and looks bestowed by God. Since childhood she was different.Yes it is a compliment but I would prefer fans to call her Neha than Indian Gaga.

Her performance at GIMA was appreciated but thats the point when people started comparing her with lady Gaga. It was for the first time an Indian singer performed in world class costumes. Some conservatives might not be comfortable with that but I am sure this is going to be the trend 6-8 years down the line. So, as a mother, are u comfortable with Neha performing in those costumes? Especially given the fact that we have a parallel moral police?

I do not interfere with what she does in her professional life. There she is the best judge. She is far ahead of the times. Till now singers in India were not supposed to look and dress attractive. But if you are a package, why not. Everything changes with times.

Good observation. And the best part is she is not using her sensuality to sell her music. instead she is celebrating it without caring for others. Every Indian teenager has a lesson in it.

And in my views she is the person who is trying to change the trend. More power to her

Yes in India she is going against the tide. People find it hard to digest what she is portraying but in our hearts we all females wish we could live our lives without any inhibition and moral police which is there only for the girls.

Precisely. I appreciate mothers like you who side with their daughters when they are right! Wish more mothers can act like this and let their daughter judge what's good for them

In today's India we need more mothers who would educate their sons as to respect the girls .Girls have been educated and judged for too long now. Sorry to say but now the boys need to change their minds. A female is not only a sex object to be viewed and used. She has an identity of her own.

Yes you are right and that reminds me that as a principle Neha is against singing an item number because it objectifies women. You are blessed with such a feminist daughter

Yes today in the name of item songs girls are going cheap and do not mind stooping to any level. Yes I am blessed to have a daughter like her but from where does this idea come it is the mother who instills them in the children.

I know this. I promote feminism. And your daughter is one of the feminists i admire. You have to see her twitter timeline to know the way she handle perverts. She is brave!

It is not that such remarks do not affect a person that  is why I say the mind set of of ones brother, boy friend, all males have to change. So that girls have the basic independence to live as they want. Yes she is very brave. She faces everything on her own.

Parents should teach male kids to respect girls. Patriarchy should GO

Just like that.long way to go but we can depend on males of the new generation to bring about the change.

Sure. Change will happen but the point was it takes lot of courage to not sing item number when sunidhi and shreya doing it in wholesale

Bless her for that. Bollywood is not the ultimate .

Lets talk about Neha’s Apple Bottoms video. So What was your first reaction after watching Apple Bottom’s video?

She had made an excellent video.It was her first and it was far beyond my imagination.I am always first among .some of the few with whom she shares her music and cares for the opinion and i told her that the video would rock.I liked it very much.

It looked like an international video in  every aspect. It went viral on youtube

yes it was.Was appreciated a lot.

And so was tabaah. The message of that song is so 21st century.

She voices what she feels. And she is very intense in her feelings.

What do u have to say to moral police is india? Do you know there were some at Infosys and GRIET who questioned Neha's style?

No I do not know about them.When was this?

It was in february 2012. The director at GRIET objected to neha's costumes.

The one in Hyderabad?

YES

Yes I know about that. Actually In India men are hypocrites. They will do all the dirty work and show a very clean portrait to the world.Thankfully now she is above all this and is not easily upset. My daughter has never been indecent.

Not all men aunty and yes I agree that she have always been in limits

I agree not all men but why r there diff.standards for men and women.A man without his baniyan is ok , however indecent he may look,men can urinate publicly in front of u and they r decent .But a girl fully dressed in T shirt and shorts is indecent. Why?

Very true. Partially because a woman has been treated like a sex object since centuries. A woman, for many men, is a sum of her body parts

Sadly it is. Today if u watch Meena kumaris films you feel like punching that character in the face for portraying such helplessness in women.As a public figure u have the ability to bring about awareness and good change in the society.Because people look up to you. You have a bigger responsibility and Neha understands that.

Bang on! You are so modern in your thoughts. Now i know the reason why Neha is like the way she is. More power to you.

Girls have always been taught how to sit,stand walk,eat, dress ,behave.In India, boys always get away with "Boys will be boys" attitude. But now we mothers teach the girls that they have the same rights. I have never had different rules for my girls and son. I only tell them to remember that they are girls and it is still a mans world. Mothers of today have bigger responsibility.

Yes. They do have. Especially with so much violence against women. And i am so happy that your daughter is brave enough to take on moral cops. Be it Event organisers or be it the guys who post abusive comments on her videos!

Yes I am proud of her. She has come with a purpose in her life, without the moral police and lewd remarks she would get more time for creative work. We as family are with her and God is always with her.

A lot of people see her as a youth icon, especially girls

Hope they learn and follow whatever good she portrays.

Well I know someone very close who learnt from the gym videos she posted

Good.God bless her.

Which is your favourite Neha Bhasin song and why?

All the songs she sang are beautifully sung and I am her greatest fan.The best was one she wrote and sang for Tsunami victims and equally favourite from her album Tabaah "kaise kaise kyon na kabhi jana" the first shows intense compassion always brings tears in my eyes and second for breaking free of frustrating tangles .Depicts the woman as emancipated.

What do you have to say for Bhasination?

First let me understand ,Bhasination is made to let people know about Neha right?

Not exactly, It is a platform to share one's views on music, art, fashion and Neha.

Ok. Its good you have such a platform but some people really write such nasty remarks and foul language. Though the celebrities are open to any sort of criticism, one should not forget that they too are human beings with merits and faults too. I hope you all can get together and bring about change in what is passed off as music today. Your voice is heard where it matters.

Thanks for your blessings. My last question : what would u like to say to neha?

My blessings are always with her.May she achieve her heart’s desire and reach new heights. Still always remain pure ,selfless and humble as she is now. I take this opportunity to tell her that I am her biggest fan and I love her a lot.

In Defence of Jwala Gutta

We are a nation of sexists. No one has doubts about that. Double standards exist in almost all the fields. In corporate world, in government sector, in media, in bollywood, in politics. Everywhere! Each women in India is judged on the basis of what she wears, her relationship status and her friend circle. No one cares for what she has achieved. Hence it was not surprising when last year a senior union minister passed vulgar comments on leader of opposition after she danced on a patriotic song at Rajghat. And the fields where sexism is at its peak is sports.

In past few years India has witnessed a lot of sports personalities achieving things which were considered impossible. And i am not talking of cricket. These players have done it in other games. And that's the special part of it. We are all aware of the dismal condition of sports bodies in India. Despite of all these difficulties, they have achieved it. Or in Steve Jobs words"Made a dent in the universe". We all must appreciate the efforts of all the females who have made india proud. Sania Mirza, MC Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Ashwini Ponappa and the list goes on. One of the persons belonging to this league is Jwala Gutta. She needs no introduction. She was the 'Daughter of the Nation' during Delhi Commonwealth Games. She, along with Ashwini Ponnappa, won Gold Medal in mixed doubles. Being a participant in multiple events she has to play more than one match a day but that didn't stop her from making that dent. A lot of young athletes across the country began to idolise her. And one of the the incident I experienced at Amitabh Bachchan Sports Complex, Allahabad. A 7 year old girl went to her coach and said "Sir mujhe Jwala didi jaisa banna hai'. Well the good part of the story ends here.

Almost 3 years later, the same lady who was revered by every Indian, was cheated in front of everyone. And sadly no one said a word. No sports body, no sports icon, no media came in her support against the tyranny of IBL organisers. The media which made her darling of the nation during commonwealth games called her a rebel and presented her in a negative way. It was the worst reporting ever done.

The entire controversy began when IBL reduced the base price of Jwala and Ashwini by 50% from $50,000 to $25,000. Worst part, they did it without consulting them. One may argue that sports authority has the right to do so. But then is that fair? Some of the newcomers who are yet to play some serious badminton are paid much more than the amount given to Jwala and Ashwini. Jwala Gutta said it multiple times - in her interviews to media, on her social media pages, that she is not bothered about the money but pained about entire issue. In a fair system can you take such a crucial decision without taking everyone on board? Imagine for a moment if the same had happened with Sachin Tendulkar in IPL. I am 100% sure the news would have went viral with fanatics protesting against the rules and PIL's being filed against BCCI in courts of law. But no such outrage in Jwala's case. Why? Because she is a female and her game is not cricket?

This is not the first time shuttler has been under scanner. She has been judged many times for all the rubbish reasons. First there was a rumour that she divorced Chetan Anand because she was in relationship with Mohd Azharuddin. Rumour because no newspaper admitted it openly. It was an 'alleged affair', 'as told by sources' etc. Not only was it derogatory but also extremely sexist. Why is it that after a high profile divorce only the character of female is questioned? She eventually has to clarify that Azhar is her family friend.

Another instance which I can remember is when she did a photoshoot for the cover of The Man magazine. She is not the first sportsperson to appear on cover of lifestyle magazines. Nor is she the first female to do so. Many female athletes including Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal have done this before. A lot of people believed that the photo-shoots, inaugurations were keeping her away from the court. Now tell me when did we questioned our cricketers to stop doing ads? Did we asked Virat Kohli to not do fair and lovely ad because it was racist? Some people on twitter even questioned when she did an item song recently in Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde. Such a mindset is dangerous.

Jwala is an sports icon. She is India's pride. She is the reason why parents are allowing their daughters to go and play badminton in the evenings after a hectic school day. She is the person who gave oxygen to doubles in India. At a time when we should be rewarding her we are asking meaningless and senseless questions. And this mindset is one of the reasons why we are yet to produce some of the world class athletes.

So now, with few days left for IBL, she has her racquet to answer her critics, sports authorities and media. She already claimed that she will let her racquet speak for herself. Our best wishes are with her. But remember she is not representing herself only. She is representing millions of Indians who are frustrated with the condition of sports and sport bodies in India. She is representing all the female athletes who are being discriminated. And at last she represents everyone who strives for a fair system.

Neha Bhasin - The woman of Today

My love and admiration for Neha Bhasin is no secret. Yet I have never written an entire post dedicated to her personality. I may have written here and there about her style, her tattoos and her music but not on her overall personality. Of course, the above mentioned attributes define her but there is something which I want to write on Neha as a whole.

For the first time, I heard about Apple Bottoms I thought it must be some vulgar song where girls will flaunt their butts etc. But when Neha came with video, the world was surprised and so was I. The song talked about butts but it wasn't cheap or vulgar in the least. For the first time I saw an Indian artist celebrating her body without selling her sensuality. The song which could have been about female objectification  ended up empowering women. Yes that song was about women empowerment. A girl must celebrate her body, her sensuality without caring for what others will say. She is just being herself. She loves her body, her dance moves and has no problems in expressing herself to the whole nation which might judge her. That was such a beautiful experience. The song beautifully captured a girl's desire to celebrate herself without stooping low. That should have been the liberating moment for Indian artists. More Indian artists should have come with songs for celebration of one's self. Alas it never happened. But the good thing, India got it's first female Rockstar. And that was too good in itself. I cannot think of any other singer whom I can compare to Madonna and Lady Gaga. She was the answer! The next big moment for her was her performance at GIMA with Salim Sulaiman. She shocked the whole world by giving a mind blowing world class performance. And on top of that, she was dressed like a Rockstar without giving a damn on what moral police and Bollywood critics will think of her. That made me respect her a lot. Yes a LOT. And I am not flattering when I say that she is the women of today - open, no rules bar and sexually provocative. And apart from that, she is a proud feminist. She is against item numbers and by her principles she has never nodded for an item number. And that too, at times when there is a competition between Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal for such songs. She rightly believes that such songs objectify women.

She is the perfect youth icon for times like today when the Indian society wants to liberate itself socially. There's a lot that every girl in country can learn from her. And you might be tempted to ask what I learnt from her. Well I started loving myself, my body, my strengths and my weaknesses. Another thing she taught me is that I have stopped glorifying sadness.

Tell me what YOU learnt!

Self Love by Neha Bhasin

If the broken hearted could be given wings again,

The angels would love them and ease their pain.

In love you fall you break your heart,

But when in love you rise,you never pay a price.

Love is so pure,it sees no hate.

Love is so sure,it has no expiration date.

Love fills your very being and compels you from within

to not just love others, BUT TO LOVE YOUR VERY SELF..

( WITHOUT SELF LOVE THERE CAN BE NO LOVE )

Nerdy Specs!

Isn't she looking sexy in these nerdy specs? :)

We'll be back, shortly!

Hi Nehaholics,

Hope you're having a nice valentine's week. I know most of you're eagerly waiting for Tera Mera Unplugged. As always, I expect her to raise the bar this time as well. I'm not posting much right now because of my day job. Will be back very soon. So expect a lot of interviews, pictures, videos and much much more.....

 

Neha's New Tattoo!

Here's the latest tattoo by Neha Bhasin. It reads I Believe. As always there is a hidden meaning in her tattoo. About which Neha says:

" I protected by an angel Believe, see the B it has a heart from 1 angle and a beautiful backless back from another"

Wishing you all the best for your new and meaningful tattoo. It's beautiful and divine.

P.S. I saw the heart shape and the backless back on the first view ;-)