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Social Media Star of The Week: Shreya Basu
Shreya Basu and her sister Priya were on a midnight run for chips when she was inspired to sing
Shreya Basu and her sister Priya were on a midnight run for chips when she was inspired to sing. So, after they parked the car in the basement, she grabbed her phone and asked her sister to record her.
Then she uploaded it as a Reel to Instagram and... was slammed with comments. Little had the 19-year-old known how strongly people would feel about her singing Mere Dholna from the horror-comedy movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa in a deserted basement in the middle of the night.
Wave of reaction
“I never thought this would go viral. I’m really liking the response,” Shreya says. “In fact, when I posted this, I was celebrating 30K followers.” Now she has 141K followers and counting, while the Reel itself has over 1,50,15,737 plays, 18,41,136 likes and more than 20K comments!
Why did she pick this particular song? “It was just random,” Shreya says. “I realised I had my phone, there was reverb in the basement, so let’s record something. We did it in one take.”
Most of the comments are hilarious. “Some that have stood out for me are, “Aapki beti subah Lakshmi ka roop dharan karti hai aur raat mein chudail bann jati hai. I found that really funny. Another one said, “Durga Ashtami naaana.”
Back to the beginning
Born and brought up in Delhi with two siblings, Shreya started learning Indian classical music at the age of three. She watched her brother do his riyaaz and was curious about the harmonium. “After sometime, I started singing what he was singing!” So, her parents sent her to music school.
She was a finalist on the reality TV show, The Voice Of India Kids 2016. “It was one of the best experiences of my life.”
When was the first time she realised she could really sing? “Now!” she laughs. “Now, I really think I can sing.”
Post posting
Her life has changed since she posted the Reel. “People I haven’t spoken to in years are calling me, texting me. Artistes and celebrities are following me, like Yashraj Mukhate, Heli Shah, and Romit Roy’s brother, Rohit Roy!”
Who should be the next HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The Week? Nominate using the hashtag #BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW or email htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
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From HT Brunch, November 26, 2022
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