Rekha Bhardwaj: ‘A youngster’s stubbornness can also be good’

Rekha Bhardwaj

In establishing her love for poetry, Rekha Bhardwaj draws us into her childhood, when she grew up with an appetite for classical music. Pointing to her large body of work, she says her credibility is partly defined by her diction, a quality she could seamlessly hone since she was raised on the works of musicians, and ghazal maestros. "I have grown up studying, reading, and listening to Hindi and Urdu poetry. I would hear plays on the radio, which was the only source of entertainment for me back then. On the radio, semi-classical music and ghazals would play all day. I'd listen to Begum Akhtar, Girija Devi, Rasoolan Bai, and Siddheshwari Devi. All of these things are part of my subconscious mind and have deeply influenced me as an artiste."

When composer Varun Jain presented his latest song, Kitna aasaan, to her, she was instantly reminded of this world in which lyricism was given prominence. Praising lyricist Juno's approach to music, she says, "Poetry is the ability to use words in a way that they move you, and Avinash [Chouhan, Juno] has penned the song beautifully. Of course, we did have discussions; for certain parts, I had a few suggestions, for the others, he convinced me. When I first met Varun, I asked him about his exposure to music. He said he belonged to Aligarh, and his parents would sing ghazals since he was young. That has influenced his ability to compose." Describing Jain as an "adamant" composer who was "particular about each note and variation", she says his ability to use string instruments is laudable. It is his desire to maintain the authenticity of his arrangements that enables him to evoke the desired emotions.

Bhardwaj is as grateful as she is appreciative of the fact that she continues to work with both veteran and young composers. While she calls the latter a talented lot, she says they can often get "greedy" when attempting their debut work. Speaking of her association with the young talent she has joined hands with, she says, "Sometimes, they are so in awe that they are not able to say [what they desire]. Or, they may be too adamant to encourage an open relationship. When you are open, a lot of good can come out of it because [you don't] treat a [song] like a piece of possession. I encourage them to not get overly ambitious. Of course, a lot of them are young, probably 23 or 24 years of age. When Vishal [Bhardwaj, husband] got his first break, he was around 30, and had a large body of work behind him. It was backed by struggle. He also learned a lot in the company of Gulzar sa'ab. And all those factors ensured that [he never] got happy with what he had done. If a song does well, that's good, but to continue to do better, you need to keep polishing your craft and focus on the next work. Even if you feel you've completed work on a track, you should keep [enhancing it]. Having said that, the energy and stubbornness that the youngsters have can also be good."

In a world where commercial trinkets are appreciated, Bhardwaj praises the young for their desire to stay true to their craft. Asserting that they come with knowledge, she says the young lot has a grip on the art of creating poetry, and doing justice to lyricism. "[For them], it's not about only catering to what the market desires. They have to be dedicated to the craft, and have a passion for the art. The ones who have a lot of exposure are able to sing, play instruments, and even produce their own music."

The use of artificial intelligence, she admits, has enabled artistes to wear multiple hats at once. Growing technological tools have eliminated monotony from people's routines. "Monotony is very intimidating, but creativity is born out of it. Simply sitting alone and watching [something] for a long time, [gives room for
ideas to flourish]. People believe that, [by using AI], they can get 10 options for one script, but they don't realise that writing is a result of the experiences you have had. Unless you walk in the rain, and notice the beauty - the magenta of the bougainvillea, the white of the madhumalti - how will you be an artiste? How far will AI take us? Recently, Vishal asked a child what 12 plus 24 was. He didn't even try to mentally calculate it, and used his phone to find the answer. That's how technology is making us lazy."