Neha Bhasin: Going back to my alma mater Lady Sri Ram college was surreal
Singer Neha Bhasin strolls down memory lane by visiting her college Lady Shri Ram College for an exclusive shoot for HT City
A pleasant rainy day turned out to be special for singer Neha Bhasin as she took a stroll down the corridors of her alma mater Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College, Delhi University, with HT City. Filled with stupendous joy “not felt in a very long time”, she admits that “Going back to college was a surreal moment!”
“The joy that I felt in my heart is something that I hadn’t felt in a very long time,” shares the 40-year-old, adding, “The love I got here was genuine and overwhelming. The way they (present students) were looking at me was something else. I didn’t feel that I had left college a long time back,” she adds.
Of throwbacks and making new memories
Basin, who pursued Sociology (Hons) from LSR (took admission in 2001) feels, “It didn’t feel that 20 years had passed when I first entered college. I was missing my college friends from Western Music Society and Dance Society.”
Besides, it was entirely a trip down memory lane for Bhasin who took to spending time in her classroom, felt nostalgic looking at the sociology board, and spoke at length about hanging out at her fave hangout spots. In addition, she even staged a special performance, in the college auditorium, for the present students to groove to her tune! She shares, “It was overwhelming to walk through the aisles of the same auditorium where I gave my first ever audition for the VIVA band (for which she was selected in 2002, and had to drop out of college thereafter to build her profession in music). When I went on the stage and stood under the same yellow lights, I saw everyone looking at me. Students were screaming... It was unreal. Though it wasn’t a concert, still the energy was high! It felt as if I was back to my home and everyone is welcoming me, with so much love, and appreciating all the hard work that I have put in the past 20 years. It felt beautiful as I felt unified with my kind!”
Over the years, Bhasin has explored her rustic Punjabi roots to belt out folk tunes with a modern spin, and ruled hearts of her fans with songs such as Jutti Meri, Nai Jaana, Madhaniya and her most recent Kut Kut Bajra. “When I was singing Jutti Meri, the whole of LSR started singing along with me... I thought Punjabi folk was niche, but not anymore. They were singing every word and not every students in the college was a Punjabi. Every artiste wants people to sing their song with them, and when I saw that in my college, it was truly a special moment for me to remember,” she adds.
‘LSR was stepping stone for my career’
Bhasin, who spent two years in college before becoming part of the girl group Viva, admits that her time spent in LSR prepared her for her career in the music industry. “LSR is my happiest memory before I entered the music world professionally and started an adult life. I was in college when I was selected and left for Mumbai. My last memory is me being in college... When I feel life is too overwhelming, I just close my eyes and go back to that time,” she shares.
Elucidating on her college memories, she exclaims, “My time in LSR was spent singing and dancing. It was a laying ground for who I was going to become. The college became an opening for me, where I could express myself as an artist and learn and became a stepping stone for my career”.
Favourite hangout zones
There were many special addas that she had in her college, which are popular for the greenery. “We used to hang out in the foyer where we used to rehearse. I used to love the cafe and the lawns behind the gazebo. It’s a beautiful college campus with lots of good hangout spots,” says the Dhunki singer.
‘Participating in college fests was like my job!’
She even recalls attending and participating in all the college fests. “It was like my job,” she laughs, adding, “I was representing my college, and came in the first and second spot. The memories are crazy, competitive, and fun... My time in LSR gave me the confidence for the life ahead of me. The love and acceptance I felt in college is something I have never felt in my life outside home. I was different and the college celebrated that. I have felt excluded all my life in school and professional life, but it was just in college where I felt included, and I am grateful about that.”