Shweta Pandit is currently staying with her husband in Italy. (Photo: Shweta Pandit/Instagram)
Bollywood playback singer Shweta Pandit has crooned many popular tracks but she is now blissfully away from Hindi film music. One of the reasons, she said, is the lack of opportunities for female artistes in the industry.
During a live session on The Indian Express’ Facebook page, Shweta, who is known for songs in films like Mohabbatein, Raja Natwarlal and Highway, said she feels disappointed by the disparity between male and female singers, which has reached a point where even the songs featuring female artistes have vocals of male musicians.
Shweta Pandit said, “I have seen it happening that a song has a female actor but the voice is of a male singer. It is sad but I don’t know what to say about it. It just shows that makers aren’t caring anymore while shooting. Earlier, these things were paid attention to.”
She added, “You should ask them why they indulge in this because if they keep doing this, the value of artistes will reduce. Not only of the singers but also the actors. I think the actor should object, saying, ‘If I am lip syncing then I need a female voice.’ The actress has to raise that point.”
When someone asked her opinion on male singers dominating the industry, Shweta Pandit said, “I myself have been asking, ‘When will this end?’ Honestly, I haven’t missed singing in films for a while. The last popular song I sang was ‘Tere Hoke Rahenge’, which was a solo track. Before that I sang a solo song in Highway. I miss that time when you would have a full song to yourself. But I don’t understand what’s happening right now. Despite being a singer myself, I don’t understand if that’s a man singing or a woman.”
Shweta, who is staying with her husband in Italy, also spoke about how her mental health has been affected due to the lockdown following the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s been difficult not just because a lockdown is tough but because I am away from my family. It’s been long. I am not used to it so I am really homesick right now. I am listening to Hindustani classical because that keeps me at peace. I am listening to ragas and to my grandfather Pt Jasraj ji. I have been listening to Ustad Amir Khan sahab. Music helps us calm down in such difficult situations. Music is my best friend. Not just today, but for life,” the singer remarked.
During the live session, the singer was asked why ‘star singers’ are no longer a phenomenon in Bollywood. Shweta said it could be credited to two reasons– the songs have become easy and singers replaceable.
“Let’s first accept the fact that earlier, songs were quite difficult. Not everyone could sing them. If I listen to “Lag Ja Gale”, I can’t think of anyone but Lataji singing that song, even as I consider all the great singers we had then, including my aunt Sulakshna Pandit.”
“Secondly, these singers were not replaceable. My aunt used to tell me how Rafi sahab (Mohammed Rafi) would be busy for three-four days and the composer waited for him. Sometimes, Kishore da (Kishore Kumar) would be gone on a tour for 20 days and composers used to wait it out. Today, if one’s busy, they will get others to sing the song. That’s because songs have become easy. They are sung in patches. So, as it gets easier, the artistes will get replaceable,” Shweta Pandit said.
The singer, who has begun an online music course to help aspiring singers better their vocal techniques during the quarantine period, shared that young artistes needed to focus more on sharpening their vocals than on earning quick success.
“Some people put effort in wrong things. And because there is YouTube and reality shows, people want everything quite fast. They want quick success and recognition. That’s not a bad thing but you have to work really hard. If you have to sing well, you have to do a lot of riyaaz.”
On the same note, the “Idhayam” singer criticised the heavy dependency of Hindi film artistes on auto-tune. She said, “It has surely spoiled the future of music because it has made horses and donkeys run the same race. So, the common man doesn’t understand who actually sings well because everyone’s voice sounds good as it is auto-tuned.”
Shweta Pandit, who has been singing for films across languages since she was four, said it was unfortunate that Indian musicians have little independent music to their credit and have to bank on films to further their careers.
“There is a lot of talent in our country but not much scope, unlike in the west. That’s why a lot of independent artistes are on YouTube but they also sing mostly covers. That’s how they have become famous. But I don’t feel there’s any good independent artiste in our country. At least, I haven’t seen any such musician who sings and composes,” she concluded.