Singer Noopur Khedkar On ‘Dhak Dhak Reloaded’: 'It Was Nothing Short Of A Dream Come True'

Her heart has gone “Dhak dhak” after singing the new add-on lyrics of Dhak dhak karne laga, the iconic chartbuster from the 1992 Beta.

Noopur Khedkar, born to a Kashmiri mother and a Maharashtrian father, is gung-ho that she got to sing this Anand-Milind-Sameer “moment in pop culture” as she terms it, in the Netflix film, Maa Behen. The girl was destined for music, and music destined for her, as we realize during our conversation.

Excerpts from the interview:

Are you the first person in music in your family?

My father is the source of my keeda for music. He is not a professional singer but very passionate about music and sings very well. I grew up listening to him and all the music around me, and from the age of three I started singing along with him. He put me under musical training when I was eight years old. Life gets in the way, though finally I did about 20 years of training intermittently. I do still want to get back to it.

“Life gets in the way”. What does that mean?

As a middle-class person, I never thought I would be a professional singer. I began working, but life had other plans. I was exposed to music in my job too, as by a stroke of luck I was selected for internship at MTV, where I was working as A & R (Artiste and Repertoire) on Coke Studios in 2013 and 2014. It was then that I realized that singers were people just like us and becoming one could be aspirational for me.

My passion only become stronger and I immersed myself in riyaaz. I took the decision of forgoing the security of a monthly paycheck, left my job and began reaching out to whoever I knew and telling them that I was a musician myself and not just a backstage person. This was around 2017-2018.

What was your father’s area of musical interest? Was it film music?

He was devoted to Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle in particular and would sing their songs.

2017 onwards was a time of paradigm shifts in music in cinema. Not all changes were positive. How challenging was it to enter the professional world at that stage, especially as you are a trained singer?

I completely agree with you that it was a transitional time. But all the same, time, it was a phase very kind to independent musicians and music. I came in at the right time, for that era democratized music because anybody passionate about independent work has a real chance today.

You now have Dhak dhak Reloaded in Maa Behen. How satisfying and challenging was it to sing a song with add-on new lyrics that has been sung differently 34 years ago by Anuradha Paudwal?

Very frankly, it was nothing short of a dream come true. For my generation, the song remains a pop culture moment as filmed on Madhuri Dixit. I feel very blessed to be a part of it even if in a small way. After all, it is a tribute and homage to an already iconic song and we are not trying to improve upon it or replacing it.

Again, as a classically-trained singer, what are, if you can be frank, the plus-es and minus-es of singing re-creations?

The only negative aspect is that it may always be compared with the original. The positive is again Madhuri Dixit! It was surreal to sing her song, and my mom happens to be a huge, huge Madhuri fan.

And maybe someday you will sing an original song for her, or do another re-creation of her multiple chartbusters!

Of course! I wish another song will happen for and with her. I will be elated beyond belief. My personal favourites among her songs are those from Dil To Pagal Hai.

Something that we all would like to know: What is the creative discussion or brief like during a re-created song? You have also done Sona kitna sona hai in Crew from Hero No. 1.

Basically, the re-creating team follows the film’s director and that is conveyed to us singers. In Dhak dhak Reloaded, the message was of women being controlled by society. The brief was not to sound angry about this but self-assured. With Sona kitna sona hai it was about dancing and having fun as the three girls shown were into smuggling!

As a singer, who are your idols or role-models?

I know that female singers usually mention Lata Mangeshkar ji or Asha Bhosle ji but for me, it is Mohammed Rafi first and foremost! My singing reflects a lot of him.

As an independent or Indie music creator how do you plan to approach your career? And what about film songs?

I have a specific dream—to create independent music with a lot of influence of the ghazal. I compose all my own songs, sing and also write them, though I occasionally need help with the writing. I am open to any assignment though.