Sameer Ka Safarnamaa ft.Mamta Sharma | Episode 5

Sameer ka Safarnamaa

In this episode of Sameer Ka Safarnamaa, legendary writer Sameer interviews playback singer Mamta Sharma about her meteoric rise to fame. Th

Key takeaways

• Mamta Sharma's breakthrough occurred when Lalit Pandit discovered her voice during a stage performance in Jaipur.
• The massive success of 'Munni Badnaam Hui' brought fame but also typecast her within the 'item song' genre.

Main topics

• Early life in Gwalior
• Discovery by Lalit Pandit

Notable quotes

Without struggle, you don't shine.

Conclusion

The episode serves as an inspiring look at how resilience and passion

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Hindi Music Ki Helen Speaker 1 (0:18) In your 24-25 years of career, what did you miss? But it was because of his blessings. He says Speaker 2 (0:25) that a successful man always has a woman's hand behind him. Speaker 1 (0:28) It is often said that in the industry, girls are misbehaved. The circumstances have come in front of you many Speaker 2 (0:36) times. It's very difficult to pay such a price for being an artist. You have to pay for it. Speaker 1 (0:43) I Speaker 2 (0:43) want Speaker 1 (0:43) such a controversy. Speaker 2 (0:45) Earlier, I used to try to sing harsh songs. I thought this was the only way. Speaker 1 (0:50) No one has ever used you from that perspective. Speaker 2 (0:54) Actually, I have a feeling that people have stopped believing in songs. People think that songs are useless. Speaker 1 (1:01) I have been seeing for a few years that Mamta Sharma out of sight. Speaker 1 (1:55) A brave warrior who did not get a Guru, made a statue of a Guru and practiced his art in front of him. One day he became the greatest warrior. There is a similar story of this artist today. Speaker 1 (2:24) He made him his Guru and started singing like him. He started copying his songs since childhood and singing like him. And slowly his journey continued. And due to some luck, at some stage performance, Lalit Pandit heard his voice. The singer Jatin Lalit's Lalit Pandit. Suddenly one day he got a call. that you come to Mumbai and we will sing. How does he know that this poor girl is roaming in Mumbai. Now she went and went there from where her fate's door had to open. And that film was Dabang and that song was Munni Badnaam Hui Darling Tere Liye. And the way this song was made, the way it came out, this girl had an item of songs stamped on her head, Helen of Hindi Music. Speaker 1 (3:35) Mamta Sharma. I thought that in today's talk show I will give Mamta a new name. Because Helen was so famous for her dance track and songs. So I thought that since Mamta is coming to my show today, she should give a new name. So Mamta, I have given you a new name and you are very welcome to my talk show. Thank Speaker 2 (4:05) you. Speaker 1 (4:30) I Speaker 2 (4:30) have Speaker 1 (4:30) been Speaker 2 (4:30) with Speaker 1 (4:30) you. I am well Speaker 2 (4:31) aware of Speaker 1 (4:31) your capabilities. Yes. Okay, let's go back in time. Sure. I will take you back to your childhood memories, to the streets and alleys of Gwalior, where you spent your childhood and studied. How was it with your parents? Gwalior is a very beautiful place, I have heard. I never had a chance to go there but I will soon. At least I saw your city and you. Speaker 2 (5:02) So tell Speaker 1 (5:03) me in a little bit of detail. Speaker 2 (5:07) Gwalior is very beautiful. Trust me, I am not praising it just because I am from there. But it is really very beautiful. And as its name is, Gwalior takes everyone as a witness. Speaker 1 (5:18) I didn't even think of this. Speaker 1 (5:22) He lost everything. He lost Speaker 2 (5:23) everything. And our house is just behind Tansen Magbore. That's amazing. Speaker 1 (5:29) May God bless you. I Speaker 2 (5:31) feel very blessed since childhood. I feel very blessed. I come from a small family. My parents were both there. I was very young when my father passed away. He was sick. He expired. I was 10 years old. I saw my mother struggling. She and my brother were trying to educate me. They were doing B.Muse in music. Their teacher used to come to teach them. I used to come with them. One day, sir said... Why don't you send Gudiya to shows? So, my mother said, ask her if she wants to go. So, we started with Jagran show. The first show I did was of Jagran. I still remember that it was a diary of LIC in which I had written bhajans. I had rehearsed the mic a lot with the water bottle. Because there was no mic in the rehearsal. When I was finally given the mic, it fell off because it was too heavy for me. I thought it would be like a bottle. But this Speaker 1 (6:50) is my first time Speaker 2 (6:51) to be proved with a mic. That's why Speaker 1 (6:57) I tell you a story. Many people dream of becoming Mamta Sharma. Many people want to enter the industry. But... The most important subject of Staxo, I repeat to you, is the message. It is the message that if you want to become something, then focus on the journey, the passion, the struggle before becoming something. The whole world knows that Mamta Sharma has become Mamta Sharma. But it is important to know how she became. And Speaker 2 (7:34) Shamil sir, I feel that the struggle that happens helps you a lot. Because whatever Jagran show I did or whatever public show I did, the audience that I met, that all comes in great use in playback singing. And when they sing on stage, sometimes the sound is not good, sometimes there is a problem and it gets managed because when they used to do shows, all these facilities were not there. So experience is very useful. I feel that struggle is a blessing for Speaker 1 (8:06) everyone. Speaker 2 (8:06) It should happen. Without struggle, you don't shine. Speaker 1 (8:09) Mamta, struggle is like education. Like you have to take a degree, So you will have to go to school, study, get scolded by Speaker 2 (8:21) your teacher. Speaker 1 (8:22) If you run away from Speaker 2 (8:24) them, Speaker 1 (8:24) you will not Speaker 2 (8:26) get Speaker 1 (8:26) a degree. Speaker 2 (8:27) You Speaker 1 (8:28) will Speaker 2 (8:28) not Speaker 1 (8:28) get education. So people Speaker 2 (8:31) gave this Speaker 1 (8:31) name Speaker 2 (8:31) to Speaker 1 (8:31) Sankhya, but if you say it in the right mind, like gold. and to bring out Speaker 2 (8:39) the shine in Speaker 1 (8:39) it, we make Speaker 2 (8:40) it Speaker 1 (8:40) burn. So it Speaker 2 (8:42) is Speaker 1 (8:42) important Speaker 2 (8:42) to Speaker 1 (8:42) burn it if you want Speaker 2 (8:44) to Speaker 1 (8:44) become gold. But today I came to know for the first time that you were so young when your father passed away. What struggle must have your mother had to go through? I can imagine that a single woman and two children and Speaker 2 (9:03) their Speaker 1 (9:03) entire responsibility is on their shoulders. I am very impressed by such women. They Speaker 2 (9:13) are Speaker 1 (9:13) self-dependent and they never lose their courage at any stage of life. Never. Speaker 2 (9:21) And Speaker 1 (9:21) as you grow up, Speaker 1 (9:25) you must have started getting responsibilities. At such a young age, the stage, as you said, it was a blessing in disguise that all these things that were happening with you, were in preparation to prepare you. I often say this, I also see my journey, now that you have reached here, now you are a receiver, you have achieved a lot, you have become very famous, When you look back, you won't understand why all this is happening to me. This is good, this is bad. It will have a positive and negative impact. Because both of them had a positive and negative impact. If I start singing Jagran songs, I will get a stamp that only sing Jagran songs. What will people say? She is Speaker 2 (10:13) a Speaker 1 (10:13) girl Speaker 2 (10:13) who sings Speaker 1 (10:13) songs of Speaker 2 (10:14) devotion. Speaker 1 (10:14) What will Speaker 2 (10:15) she Speaker 1 (10:15) sing? But now you are realizing that it was the decision of God. She knew your financial condition. She knew that she wouldn't be able to learn from 5 great gurus. She didn't have enough money to join an academy. So she said no. But I want to make something out of this. So she said, there are other ways. This Speaker 2 (10:41) is how I teach you. So she started Speaker 1 (10:45) preparing you from Speaker 2 (10:47) there. Speaker 1 (10:47) And slowly slowly slowly that mic You started practicing with the bottle as a mic and then you Speaker 2 (10:55) got the Speaker 1 (10:55) mic. I know you started getting popular in the shows there. Speaker 2 (11:01) You started getting a Speaker 1 (11:02) lot Speaker 2 (11:03) of Speaker 1 (11:03) fame there. The sound that we are all listening to today, that's where the weight came from. And the shine that was needed came out of there. Speaker 2 (11:18) Because at that time, everyone didn't Speaker 1 (11:20) think Speaker 2 (11:20) about the voice. They didn't even think about Speaker 1 (11:23) it. Speaker 2 (11:23) They just wanted to give their best. And the audience should be happy. I was very Speaker 1 (11:28) fond of Speaker 2 (11:28) Once More. I Speaker 1 (11:30) mean, Speaker 2 (11:30) if people didn't Speaker 1 (11:31) call me Speaker 2 (11:31) Once More, I thought I didn't Speaker 1 (11:33) sing Speaker 2 (11:33) well. That's why I didn't say it. Otherwise, they would shout at every song, once more, once more, once more, Mamtaai Chai. So, it's a very happy feeling. It's a strange happiness. Speaker 1 (11:43) I feel like I am going to Speaker 2 (11:45) get a high. Speaker 1 (11:45) I do concerts myself. I know that when you are in front of the public, the pleasure is of a different level. That thing Speaker 2 (11:56) has made Speaker 1 (11:56) a Speaker 2 (11:56) difference. You Speaker 1 (11:58) didn't take a teacher, you didn't take primary education. But when you moved forward, Speaker 1 (12:09) When you were singing Jagran, did you ever think that you would sing in films? Never. Never. Speaker 2 (12:21) When we switched Speaker 1 (12:24) to Speaker 2 (12:24) stage shows, we used to listen to Asha a lot. I thought that Asha's songs were easy to read. I liked her chulbulapan and nutkhatpan. and I loved to have fun. I used to try to sing in my songs. That was my inspiration. I listened to them and prepared myself. But I never imagined myself in Bollywood. This happened when I was about 16 or 17 years old. I completed my 10th and 11th exams. After that I realised that if I want to fulfil my dreams, I have to go to Mumbai. No matter how much I sing here. The Speaker 1 (13:15) destination is the same. Yes. Speaker 2 (13:17) But in Mumbai, it wasn't that I will sing in films. It was that people should know. Now they didn't know how they would know. They would know through shows. Speaker 2 (13:28) through filmy songs, nothing like that, I didn't have an address, you will laugh I will laugh where I would have gone with the bag, I will laugh I directly took my bag, such a big suitcase, my mom and I and we directly reached there and there they thought that there is someone who knows, that's why they brought the bag when I talked there, they also laughed that brother It's not like that. You have to take admission here, you have to learn. And you have to find a Speaker 1 (14:00) house Speaker 2 (14:00) to stay. So that struggle was different. I didn't Speaker 1 (14:04) get a house for Speaker 2 (14:04) 4-5 days. So I was up and down in Speaker 1 (14:09) the train at the station. Speaker 2 (14:09) Can you imagine? At around 2 pm, the train used to stop. So I used to sit there all night and go to Siddhi Vinayak at 5 am and ask for a house. We used to pray for each other. Then we met. We got a house on the third day. So we struggled like this. Bollywood was not in the picture till then. I came to Mumbai in July 1999. My first song came in Speaker 1 (14:42) 2010. Speaker 2 (14:42) Till then... You can say that half of Speaker 1 (14:46) the Speaker 2 (14:46) artists Speaker 1 (14:46) have Speaker 2 (14:46) left their Speaker 1 (14:47) hopes Speaker 2 (14:47) that they will never get to Speaker 1 (14:49) see the Speaker 2 (14:49) artist again. Speaker 1 (14:50) So Speaker 2 (14:50) I was doing a stage show and there were some really good stage shows. So I was happy that I made some names in the stage show. At least I made some names in my bombing. That was a big achievement for me. Okay, so Speaker 1 (15:04) this was going on. Speaker 1 (15:08) How did Lalit Pandit come into your life? How did Lalit Pandit come and take the key to your doorstep and find you? How did this happen? Speaker 2 (15:23) We met Lalit sir during the stage shows. Lalit sir is a very nice photo. We were doing a stage show. Lalit sir was a knight. It was in Jaipur. It was a wedding show. And I was singing the same songs that I sing. I think I was writing a story of Uma Devi or something. So he liked it and said, you keep singing in different voices. It's good that you come to the studio sometime. We will check your voice and see how it is. So I said okay, I gave him the number and he took it. After that I didn't contact him for 2 years. Because before that I contacted a lot of people, called them Speaker 1 (16:08) a lot. Speaker 2 (16:08) I don't want to name it Speaker 1 (16:10) over here. I know, I know. I called them so Speaker 2 (16:11) many times, gave them CDs, met them. Half of them didn't pick up the Speaker 1 (16:16) phone. Speaker 2 (16:16) And today I can understand why they don't pick up the phone. Because of the pressure, the busyness and that... I mean inside you... what is their talent and what is not, they know, things happen on time, what I feel, today I know that people can't entertain you at that time. So when they didn't respond to me, I thought Lalit sir also told me to keep my heart and gave me the number. But suddenly after 2 years, a movie was coming, Lalit sir's name came and I just realized that Lalit sir had called me so I I just discussed this with my husband that sir had called me. He said, are you crazy? Speaker 2 (16:59) Dalit sir called you and you didn't call. What kind of a girl are you? People are worried that he might praise you and you didn't go. So that's how I called sir. Sir called me in the studio the next day. And that's how we sang Munni Ka Scratch there. And after about 6 months, that song went into the movie. And sir calls me and says, do you know where that song is? I said, sir, are you listening Speaker 1 (17:27) to my Speaker 2 (17:27) voice? Speaker 1 (17:30) The song is fine, but tell Speaker 2 (17:32) me how did it go? Sameer sir, I didn't believe it even till the release. The second song of the movie was released. It was released while I was still tired. And this song didn't come. When I saw it for the first time on TV and when I saw Mamta Sharma written on the screen, then I believed that yes, my Speaker 1 (17:53) voice is coming. Speaker 1 (18:23) Now I'm there. I had a lot of train journeys. I Speaker 2 (18:26) was Speaker 1 (18:26) hungry. It Speaker 2 (18:28) was magical. It was magical. It Speaker 1 (18:31) was magical. It happened with all of us. And one thing I saw, all these achievers, nearly, nearly, 95 % I guarantee, the people Speaker 2 (18:47) who came to my Speaker 1 (18:47) talks, when I... I talked about my past life and struggles. 95 people have a similar journey. Some have a little less, some have a little more. But no one has come to me and said, I was ready to become a star. Speaker 1 (19:13) So, this means that this era of trials will have to be overcome. And this is a big fact. You have made a mistake. What? Speaker 1 (19:27) You sang Munni and you got fame. Munni became the bone of our neck. Oh my God! Munni became like when you made Pacholi ke Peeche, Speaker 2 (19:40) I Speaker 1 (19:40) got trapped. Speaker 2 (19:41) I asked Mr. Speaker 1 (19:42) Bakshi, what have you done? Where do I take this? There was an interview in Mahesh Bhatka, very good. I got a film fare at that time. with a veil on his chest. He said, it's good that Sameer hid Choli in the veil. So he saved his life. So your Munni made such a ruckus that the picture I was writing, she should Speaker 2 (20:15) have Speaker 1 (20:15) been called Munni Badnaam in all Speaker 2 (20:16) of them. Speaker 1 (20:17) Okay, Munni Badnaam, she should have been a singer. But where did that thought come from? Now I know that the industry tradition is that only those who are successful are asked for. They have so much difficulty in taking something new that they are people who are walking on a tested formula. Speaker 2 (20:37) In Speaker 1 (20:38) our country, it is said that a sheep will walk. Speaker 2 (20:40) That Speaker 1 (20:40) wherever Speaker 2 (20:41) a Speaker 1 (20:41) sheep walks, all the sheep will start walking from Speaker 2 (20:44) there. Speaker 1 (20:45) Very few people have this matter that they... They want to create their own. Speaker