Happy performing live shows, says folk singer Falguni Pathak on staying away from films

PTI, Aug 7, 2024, 7:51 PM IST

Credit: PTI

New Delhi: Falguni Pathak, the voice behind several 1990s pop songs such as “Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi” and “Maine Payal Hai Chhankai”, says while she doesn’t avoid working in films, she feels more at home on the stage.

As someone who has been performing at live shows since the age of nine, Pathak said she is “content” with what she does.

“I don’t avoid (working in films)… The songs that I have sung live, right from childhood, from the age of nine… the live shows that I did.

“I feel very happy and content. You have to run around a little bit more when it comes to playback singing (‘thodi si bhaag-daud zyada karni padti hai’). (You have to) Meet this person, that person, go to the studios and sit there for hours. I am a bit lazy about it,” the 55-year-old told PTI.

Pathak, who has made a name for herself as the go-to artiste to perform live shows during festivals like Navaratri, has sporadically worked in films.

The title song of her debut album “Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi” (1998) was used in “Pyaar Koi Khel Nahin”, a 1999 film featuring Sunny Deol, Mahima Chaudhary, and Apurva Agnihotri.

She also has film songs such as “Badan Juda Hote Hain” from 1999’s “Koyla”, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit Nene, and “Aha Aha” from 2002’s “Na Tum Jaano Na Hum”, featuring Hrithik Roshan, Esha Deol, and Saif Ali Khan, to her credit.

The legacy of the ‘Dandiya Queen’, also known for independent music songs such as “Pal Pal Teri Yaad”, “Ayio Rama Haath Sey”, “Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaaye”, and “Saawan Mein Morni”, endures even today.

“What I am happy about is that today’s generation still loves these songs of mine,” she added.

Fans have a special place for “Tera Mera Pyaar Sanam”, a rare collaborative single featuring Pathak and Bombay Vikings vocalist Neeraj Shridhar.

“I feel very happy, emotional, and blessed. That is the joy of a good melody, good lyrics, and simple videos. Of course, people will like it. (It’s about) simplicity,” she said.

What are the key elements that she keeps in mind while creating new songs?

“The tune should be catchy, it should have a good melody, and there should be no double-meaning lyrics. These are the most important things,” she added.

Pathak, who has been singing since the age of four, credited fans for being her source of motivation.

“My audience, my fans… They wait for me every year.”

Her latest work is “Rangaara”, a Colors anthem, which she sang in collaboration with Aditya Gadhvi of “Khalasi” fame. Produced by Night Song Records, the track is composed by Achint Thakkar and Nirmit Shah with the lyrics by Saumya Joshi. It released on YouTube last month.