“My songs strike a chord both with 18-year-olds as well as 80-year-olds''''

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 17

From being a small town girl, a young housewife, mother of three and a divorcee to a powerful voice that took the Bollywood music industry by storm, Kanika Kapoor is unusually a real story of success through failures. A grey-eyed beauty, she became a singing sensation overnight with her hit debut “Babydoll”, and established herself as a strong performer and versatile singer with an impressive singing profile and a Filmfare award under her belt.

Be it popular remixes, independent pop tracks or Sufi rock, she has done it all. Five years after her debut in the Indian music industry, Kapoor says that her songs are especially loved by women for a special reason.

“My songs strike a chord both with 18-year-olds as well as 80-year-olds. Even my grandmother loves listening to them. It is because they come from the heart of a woman, who has found her way through the dirt, criticism and the challenges of life. It is a voice of one strong woman to all the others like her,” she said, while addressing a large gathering of women at a Karva Chauth event in the city.

Her journey might have been tough, but Kanika seems to have found her happy place as she was all wit and humour while interacting with the women. “It feels great that the women have dressed up in all their finery today. I feel that Karva Chauth is a beautiful festival and very special for women and it should be celebrated with fun.” And it was fun as she took the mike and had a question to ask? “Can anyone here find me a mother-in-law. I really want to get one, so if anyone knows any Punjabi marriageable gabru, please help me.”

Well, the questions did get her applause and suitable queries. Hailing from Lucknow, Kanika said that she is in love with Amritsar. “I first came to the city for shopping for my wedding 20 years ago. I am always anxious to come here as I love the food here and this time too I am going to have some sumptuous dhaba food,” she shared.

On the work front, she has sung three songs, which are lined up for a November release. Being one of the few artistes, who have balanced independent music as well as Bollywood songs, she says that it’s time the music industry makes way for independent, original music. “Everyone is tired of the remixes being thrown at us. I am sure that most music listeners too find the originals to be better than the remixed versions any day. But of late, the success of original songs, independent musicians say a lot about the changing trend and I hope that more push is given to independent music.”

Though she said that she too had given some remixes, her favourite genre is Punjabi folk. My upcoming songs are semi classical, a mix of Punjabi Sufi. I keep on improvising and trying a new genre of music.”