Prabhjee Kaur, whose last song Stupid Saiyyan from Why Cheat India, grabbed eyeballs speaks with SHALINI SAKSENA about her debut song and how her sister helped tide over bad times
Tell us about yourself.
Music has always been part and parcel of my life since I was a child. To begin with, I used to sing Gurbani with my siblings, then graduated to singing songs of Bollywood legends. Slowly, my interest in music developed. After singing for years, we never realised when and how the switch to singing professionally took place. But at one point in life, we all wanted to be singers.
Did you take training in music?
Yes, we took lessons from Ustad Puran Shah Koti from Jalandhar.
Are all your siblings playback?
You may be aware that my elder sister is already part of Bollywood. She has sung songs like Bolna from Kapoor & Sons, Akh Lad Jaave and two songs in the movie Simbaa. My other siblings are also playbacking and very soon you will hear them as well.
You debuted with Why Cheat India. What kind of response have you got?
It was very smooth. I got so much love from the industry. It feels great to be part of such a film. I feel blessed. From the time that I understood that I wanted to be a professional singer, I wanted to give the industry my best.
Did you face roadblocks or did your sister help smooth the path?
It helped that she is part of the industry. I learnt so much from her struggle. I had a ring side view of what she went through. She has been an inspiration for me.
What has been your parents’ reaction?
They are very happy and all of us have made a mark in the industry. Maybe if one of us was not singing, they would have pushed for another profession. But the fact that all of are doing what we love has made them happy. They wanted us to pursue our dream.
Are there challenges for newcomers?
You need to have luck with you. I sent voice samples to music directors — some took note, others ignored it. I was lucky that Krsna sir (Solo) took note of the message and voice samples that I sent him. He liked it and asked me to meet him. I got a positive feedback and got my first song. Now that I have a Bollywood song to back me up, it has become easy to get my work recognised and get noticed by others. My life was easy but other have it tough.
How did you manage to deal with no response?
When I would sent a message and not get a reply, I would get sad. But my sister was a pillar for strength. She would encourage me and tell me that my time would come.
Is there competition among you siblings?
No, not at all. We are so much in sync with each other. If you listen to all of us sing together, it is one powerful voice. We are three sisters and one brother. We encourage each other.
Are the four of you working on a single?
The digital platform is great for artists with talent. We are all working on something which we can do together.
What are your plans for the next year or two?
I would like to get as many studio songs as possible. I feel that it is important to make a mark as playback before going to live performances. If my studio life is good, I will get more stage shows.
