Neeti Mohan may have been first spotted when she was selected to be part of the band, Aasma, but the singer has come a long way from then. Today, she has sung in languages that she can’t speak in, has worked for and with A.R. Rahman and is one of Bollywood’s most popular singers.
And though, it was A.R. Rahman’s song, Jiya Re from Jab Tak Hain Jaan, that won her many awards, the one music composer that Neeti can’t wait to work with is Ilayaraja. “He is a legend! If I get a chance to work with him I will be the happiest person. I don’t know if he has heard my songs, but I hope he does and I pray that he calls me to work with him. Until then, I shall keep my fingers crossed,” she says. “I have been working with Rahman for years now. I have also performed at his live show in Chennai and have sung in so many languages. So it feels really nice!” she adds.
The singer who is from Delhi comes from a family that had no connection with the film industry. “We are four sisters and when we joined the industry we were outsiders and we did not know anyone in the industry. However, singing was something that I loved doing since my childhood. I used to love to sing and perform on stage and that in many ways drove me to give my best,” says Neeti.
“When I was in school, I would participate in almost every possible competition. I also went on to represent my school and college. In many ways, I feel, that these competitions helped me realise that singing was not just a hobby and it pushed me to take up music more seriously,” she explains.
For Neeti and her sisters, the support of their parents was what helped them reach the position that they have. “My father would tell me, ‘I don’t just want to see good marks,’ and he would encourage us to take up a lot of extra-curricular activities and that helped us become stronger in every field, not just in education. I played volleyball and basketball and would also take part in dramatics,” says Neeti who was the head girl of her school. She further adds,
“Having studied in a girls school, I was always surrounded by women, all of who were strong-willed and came from army backgrounds, that played a very important role in my life.”
Though Neeti has nothing but love and respect for her parents, there was a time when she felt that her father did not love her. She laughs while saying, “That was when I was sent to a boarding school in Rajasthan. I was the first girl-child from my family who was sent to a boarding school. So I thought that my father sent me there because he did not like me, but I later realised that it was a good thing that happened to me,” she explains.
Studying in a boarding school gave her ample time to concentrate on her academics and co-curricular activities. “The strict rules not only helped me become more disciplined but it also made me a more independent person,” she adds. “I have been blessed to have a father like mine. He has supported me all through my journey and I owe my success to him,” she says.
Neeti is known for her peppy, foot-tapping numbers so it surprises you when she says that she regrets not singing devotional songs. She explains, “For me music is God. I have sung so many songs till date, but I regret not singing any devotional songs. There was a time when I would dress up in my mum’s sari and sing bhajans. That was also the first time when I realised that music could be devotional.” But the actress could soon be fulfilling her dream of recording a devotional song.
“Devotional music is something that comes naturally to me, I have grown up listening to it. So far I have not been asked to perform devotional songs, but I have written and composed a few. For now, they are just for me, but maybe one day I will produce them,” she says.
The entertainment industry has seen it’s share of controversies but Neeti says that she is lucky to not have encountered any. “I’m very glad and lucky that I haven’t faced the casting couch. We have to be careful and be wary with people. I also feel that if a person or a situation is making one feel uncomfortable then they should just move on from there. Remember, life is not all about getting famous.”
The singer’s journey in the entertainment industry has been eventful. She has sung for all the top actresses in the industry from Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif to even Anushka Sharma. However, her wish to sing for Madhuri Dixit hasn’t come true yet.
“I am a huge fan of Madhuri. So much that I even want to build a temple for in our house,” she says while laughing. “Madhuri is an evergreen actress and I hope that I can sing for her one day,” she adds.
Neeti has many positives, but her one weakness, according to her family is that she is a workaholic. “I have not had a single day off this year but I’m not complaining. My sister’s joke around saying that if I take one day off, I will get fed up easily. If I’m at home, I feel as if I’m missing out on work and I tend to get bored easily, so I need to keep myself busy.”
With such a busy schedule, does she even find the time for love? And is marriage on the cards? “I have nobody in my life right now. But my family is looking for a boy. But, I am open to a love or an arranged marriage.” So, does that mean she has no Valentine’s Day plan? “It’s going to be a busy day for me, as usual. That’s because I will be performing live for the Maharashtra government for a project.”
