Sunanda Sharma, who debuted with the song Billi Ankh, speaks with Shalini Saksena about her latest track and how she ended up doing a film with Diljit Dosanjh and Yograj Singh

How did you become a singer?

I think I was destined to be a singer, to be in this industry. On a more serious note, there of four years back when I uploaded a song. The song went viral in Punjab. This got me offers from the Punjabi industry. I decided to go with the flow. The subsequent songs that were released did well. The rest is history.

Did you train professionally?

No, not really. I had never envisioned that I would end up singing. The video that I had uploaded brought me instant stardom that didn’t leave much time to learn. But, since coming into the industry, I have worked hard and learnt the ropes.

What is your latest song about?

The song — Ban— is set in 2030 when the Government has banned gun culture. A girl taking a peg from this, is singing in her praise and says that she is so pretty that she needs to keep her eyes under lock and key just like the Government has banned the guns.

Do you feel that you are at a disadvantage since you have not learnt music professionally?

Yes, definitely. It is like giving a child a college course book and then ask him to ace the exam. It would be difficult for him. I am in a similar boat. I got fame so fast that I didn’t have time to learn. I am doing my best to learn. But, there is so little time. We have public appearances, interviews to give and performances. But whatever time I get, I learn and pick up anything and everything related to music.

You released a single first instead of making a debut in Bollywood?

Like I mentioned before, it was never my intention to enter this industry. The song that had gone viral was shot while I was sitting at home and just started singing and make a video and uploaded. As luck would have it, the song got noticed by a popular singer who put it up on his Facebook. Singles came next and then came Bollywood.

You have playbacked for two Bollywood songs. Has that changed your career path?

Playback may not give you face recognition but it helps you reach out to more people. It adds to your profile. Bollywood is so professional. In Punjab, the level at which I have reached, it would have taken me such a long to be where I am today. Bollywood propelled me to stardom.

How did acting happen?

I did Sajjan Singh Rangroot back in 2018 with Diljit Dosanjh. Though I am not working on a film, we are looking at a few scripts. We are artists, you can make us do anything that involves performing. All that matters is to be professional. How you are doing it matters as well.

What next — films or music?

I am working on a few Punjabi songs for an album. Then there are a few Bollywood projects lined up as well.

Tell us about your association with Gaana Punjabi.

The platform is very popular. Many of my songs are doing well on the platform, it gives me the much needed recognition. Now that Gaana Punjabi has been launched, it is a great opportunity for artists like us.

How do such platforms help regional musicians?

People love music and listen to songs that are played on Gaana. People world over listen to the songs played here. This will help more talent come out from the State. And not just Punjab, it gives all artists a platform where their songs are heard by millions.