Viva’s Neha Bhasin: Promises made during reality shows aren’t fulfilled

Nehal Bhasin’s latest song is ‘Paani Ravi Da’ from Punjabi movie Lahoriye which has received over 1 million views on YouTube.

Singer Neha Bhasin, whose career began with being chosen in all-girl Indian pop group Viva through a reality TV show, is not keen to be a judge on any such platform. She says promises made during the beginning of such shows are often not fulfilled.

Neha was introduced to the world with pop band Viva. (Instagram)

“Reality shows are a beginning for people but I don’t think it’s a good platform because if you see any of the reality show winners... We really had to crawl our way up and find an opportunity in the industry to become famous but a reality show can’t give you that,” Neha told IANS over the phone from Mumbai.

“When you sing other people’s songs and when everyone says ‘Waah waah’, and they say that ‘Hum tumhe gaana denge (We will give you a chance to sing in a film’, this really goes out of the window once the show gets over. The promises made on reality shows are not really fulfilled. Most of the times they are not,” she added.

Her latest song is “Paani ravi da” from Punjabi movie Lahoriye which has received over 1 million views on YouTube.

Neha, who has always maintained a balance between singing for films and her singles, says “except for the language, nothing is really different about the two”.

“The experience and the expectations from you is pretty much the same. ‘Paani ravi da’ is a very difficult song to sing. I feel like I am constantly getting challenged by every song I sing because I’m not that lucky girl who sings 100 similar songs and becomes famous,” added the Delhi girl, who is also known for her Punjabi folk song “Nai jaana”.

Her career started in 2002 as a member of the all-girl Indian pop group Viva after she participated in Coke [V] Popstars while she was in Lady Shri Ram College. After an album or two, the group disbanded, but gave the industry talented singers like Anushka Manchanda and Pratichee Mohapatra apart from Neha, who have made their own space.

“I don’t think band culture exists in India. There is no music culture in India because here films produce music,” said Neha, who has also sung songs like ‘Kuch Khaas Hai’ from Fashion and Dhunki from Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.

“For an individual, it is so difficult to survive as a non-film artist, so a band is almost unheard of. Everything is very different in a band and a lot of times conflicts lead to break-up and it’s not only here (in India), it’s worldwide -- like One Direction has broken and Fifth Harmony is on the verge of breaking up.

“Usually, the rock bands survive longer than the pop bands because everybody’s ambition is similar and everybody’s job is the same,” she added.

Neha is one of the nominees in the Best Singer (Female) category for Jag Ghoomeya at the IIFA Awards, to be held in New York in July.

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