Today, this complete artiste is a trained classical singer, songwriter, choreographer, stage planner, performer, composer, actor, playback singer, mimic and a TV show host besides doing jingles. Neha has done it all and become a youth and style icon, receiving a number of awards across various art forms. “Our country needs different types of artistes in different film and non-film genres. Newcomers are not here to replace the senior generation of artistes but to create their own niche, fans and to expand the market. Content is king and the audience is the queen,” points out Neha.
A true entertainer, Neha started nurturing her dreams of being a ‘singing star’ at the tender age of nine. She followed it up as the secretary of the Western Music Society in college. She came to Mumbai when she was 19 and soon realised the importance of being a complete performer (a word that she says was never really understood in the parlance of the Mumbai music industry).
Neha then trained with Shiamak Davar’s SDIPA and has also been trained vocally by gurus Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan and Rochana Dahanukar.
“As an aspirant, I always realised the need for a strong support system to nurture the immense talent that exists in this country. Artistes will come, struggle and go away but the support system will always nurture the future. Every artiste needs a patron and a mentor. Every aspirant needs to be coaxed into believing in himself or herself and delivering good content,” says Neha.
Neha was selected by Seymour Stein (the man who discovered Madonna) from among thousands of Indian girls and groomed to be a part of India’s first all-girl pop group Viva, a result of India’s 1st ever reality television-based talent hunt Popstars on Channel [V]. Neha was always singled out as the best singer-performer in Viva and voted the No. 1 popstar on an online poll and the ‘Most desirable Popstar’ on Channel [V] Crush.
“Viva was a starting music school for me and the best possible platform to start a career,” says Neha. “The band also helped blossom our individuality in addition to imparting values of being together in a band or group. It also made the music industry realise that there is a space for an organised non-film music genre in this country,” says Neha.
Neha was signed up for management by AMG India for an even more successful solo career. Today, Neha is regularly traversing the length and breadth of the country, giving ‘live’ performances with her group across India and abroad. Soon, she will be releasing her first solo album.
Says Neha, “I’m a feel-good artiste. I believe in the music I create and in the power of the song I sing. I infuse the words with a lot of love and power to help the song transcend into the hearts of people. I believe that I have a natural instinct to recognise a good song and give it a soul-stirring and heart-rendering impetus. Only a song sung from the heart can stir emotions.”
Neha has won the Best Playback Female Singer Vijay Award for Pesugiren. Her title-track for Hari Puttar with a special ‘in-film’ video film on Shaan and her got rave reviews. Her first film song Ek luk ek luk from Aryan was also a hit.
“I believe that success needs a lot of courage, strategy and effort. My fans love my voice due to its range and depth, which appeal to both Indian and Western tastes. The presentation and packaging are as important as the content,” she says.
An ardent admirer of A. R. Rahman, Neha has since sung regularly for music directors Yuvan Shankar Raja (including the hit Sei from the film Billa & songs in his upcoming films Yogi and Muthirai) and D. Imaan (Ninaivil Ninraval) and is now featured in Kavithai Gundar. “Recording for Kavithai Gundar involved the four most cherished days of my life,” she gushes. “It feels great to be part of an international Hip-HopTamil album,” says the singer. “I owe a lot to Tamil Nadu since my career has blossomed from there.”
Neha Bhasin successfully hosted Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Hungama on Zee Music. She is now judging and training contestants of the reality show Sitaron Ko Chhoona Hai on Real TV. In the show, she is a live performance mentor, training and judging 12 singers to be the best live performers.
“Reality TV shows are a great boon and an opportunity for scores of talented aspirants across India,” says Neha. “However, I would like to see more people from the hinterlands make it to the television studios.”
Neha has several international collaborations and multi-language ad-jingles to her credit. She has collaborated with Malaysian Hip-Hop artiste MC JayZ on a track (Thaniye) from his recently-released album. An international video for the same, featuring her in the lead, will be seen soon in India as well. Her solo Hindi album has her collaborating with leading American R&B artistes, besides doing the songwriting herself. A self-composed English album is also in the pipeline and she has also sung title-tracks for serials like Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa and for Disney Channel.