Sireesha Bhagavatula’s Ghodey Pe Savar song from Tripti Dimri and Babil Khan starrer Qala became the talk of the town when it was first released back in December 2022. Adding to that song’s glory, Sireesha’s other two songs from the film ‘Phero Na Najariya’ and ‘Rubaaiyaan’ were a raging hit too. But prior to becoming an overnight sensation and singing for Amit Trivedi, Sireesha Bhagavatula had participated in a number of reality shows like Indian Idol.
The singer eventually went on to win
the popular digital reality show called Hipi G.O.A.T. and is now participating as a mentor for the next season of the same.. Throughout her journey, Hipi has assisted Sireesha to thrive in her abilities and helped her create an exuberant fan base through the platform. During an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Sireesha touched upon a number of topics including Qala, working with AR Rahman. Here are the excerpts:
You started your singing journey by participating in Indian Idol 12 after which you won Hipi G.O.A.T. As a singing contestant, how were the two experiences different considering one was a television reality show and the other one a digital reality show?
Although I started quite early in other languages, my first ever Hindi reality show was Indian Idol, where I would get 3 to 4 minutes to showcase my talent in whatever different genres that I pick. On the other hand, when I contested at Hipi, it’s a short video platform and I’ve been associated with it right after Indian Idol. The differences I have seen, we don’t have four minutes of time. You’ll get just 30 seconds. In that short span of time, we should be able to do our best and we have to pick the portions that can alleviate our singing. That shows our actual talent. I got Hipi to continuously keep me motivated to record videos everyday to keep doing what I love the most. That way, it really helped me to understand different aspects.
Recall your journey on G.O.A.T, during the show and after the show, how did that platform aid you in your growth and enrich you as a singer?
The journey at Hipi has been very informative in different ways because I was not a very social media active person. I had never put up videos very regularly. So in that way themes were given to us, there used to be some constraints like a song from a tele serial, those kind of things were given to me and I had to work on that. It was very exciting because it depended upon how much knowledge you have of music. And then I went on to become the winner of Hipi G.O.A.T Season 1 and it was really a big boost for me after Indian Idol because people started recognising me. It helped me to keep doing my job and continue to post videos.
Being a singing reality show mentor comes with a huge responsibility in the sense that you have to guide and mentor contestants so they can create a path for yourself like you did. Are you nervous or intimidated about this role?
To be honest, I didn’t expect because ofcourse I was the winner of the previous season but to be a mentor, it definitely comes with a lot of responsibility. I have seen my mentors and I have learnt a lot from them. So to guide someone else, first of all, I’ll definitely call it practice before you preach. Because first of all, if I am telling them something, I have to make sure I am following that as well. Like morning kharaj practice is important so I’ll make sure that I am doing it as well. Moreover, I’ll get an opportunity to interact with contestants and also learn from them. Basically I’ll be mentoring the finalists of this season. So it is going to be an interesting journey and I am looking forward to it.
Qala was a big turning point in your life. Having said that, with all the love and appreciation you have received, do you feel any sort of pressure on yourself to deliver another viral sensation like Ghodey Pe Savar? How do you deal with that?
To be honest, I never thought or expected Ghodey Pe Sawar to go viral. It has got so much love because of the value of the song that Amit Trivedi Sir has composed. And then there is Amitabh Bhattacharya Sir who has written it. It’s all because of teamwork. So I never expected it to be viral and nor did I sing with the expectations that it should go viral. So I never had to deal with the pressure of going viral. If it is worth it, it’ll definitely go viral. I just concentrate on giving my best in each and every song that comes my way. That is the only pressure I have right now that I should be able to deliver the best and being viral or not, it never mattered to me.
Over the past couple of years, social media has changed the game for singers and musicians as they have full control over their content and they can cultivate a dedicated audience for themselves. While it’s certainly a good thing, there are criticisms regarding the fact that such singers and musicians don’t necessarily grow beyond social media. What are your thoughts on that?
Social media has opened up a lot of possibilities for anybody aspiring to become a star. So in a way, it is really helpful. But the amount of content that is being generated is quite high so that is the primary reason. In this particular field where a lot of people sing good, the opportunities will obviously go down. That is the reason it is becoming difficult for people to grow beyond social media. Only those people who have X-Factor can do well on social media as well as during live shows and recordings. They will get more opportunities because they are consistent in a particular field. But one good thing that has come out of it is, everyone is thinking out of the box. If somebody has done something, they are always thinking about what new they can bring out. For example, Ghodey Pe Savar male version is very creative.
As a follow up to that, like earlier for singers, their ultimate dream was to do playback, but with how the landscape has changed and still continues to change, do you believe their priorities and goals are gonna change as well?
I think first and the foremost priority for any singer would be to do playback. Because that is how we’ve seen our idols grow. Like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle. So to be able to give our voice to some actresses, that would be the ultimate goal according to me. But I think there are some contradictions to that as well because some might want to become a social media influencer. Those who would like to post more of social media content. It’s mostly their choice but also to aspire for more playback songs is not possible in this generation because there are lots of amazing singers. So if one singer is getting to sing for a film then the same composers will choose the same singer to sing for other projects as well. It depends on various factors like availability, what does script wants, who will suit actresses voice. So although the aspirations has always been there, I don’t think it is possible to get as many songs that our seniors have gotten. I still aspire for more playback songs because I get pleasure in singing in that setup or environment.
Coming back to Qala, when you were recording the songs, did you ever get that feeling that it would blow up in such a big way? Prior to recording it, what was the brief that was given to you by Amit Trivedi? And what kind of preparation went into creating that song?
The day Ghodey Pe Savar was recorded, I already knew everything about the song. I was just given the tune of Ghodey Pe Savar so I had the tune in mind. The next thing when I came, they had already written down the lyrics. We got on a video call with Amitabh Bhattacharya Sir and gotten the lyrics corrected and went ahead with it. Surprisingly, it didn’t take much time because Amit Trivedi Sir is a very cool and composed person. He gave me so much of time to understand, to make the song my own and then sing. So I felt very comfortable singing it. And one nice thing I remember about the recording is when you see the movie Qala, there are few scenes where the character of Tripti Dimri doesn’t sing properly. So for that recording, Amit Trivedi Sir said that now you are not singing properly, you should stop. I would start singing and he used to say, ‘kya gaa rahi ho tum?”. So we would enact the scene from the movie . That’s how it was recorded, to be natural because even I had to act in front of the microphone to actually get the feel of it. And I was told that in the movie, the actress has become a singer and she is singing a playback song. So I had to show the variations between ‘Phero Na Najariya’ and ‘Ghodey Pe Savar’ so that’s how I went about it.
Prior to Qala, you had already sung for AR Rahman in Bigil. And now you have sung for him in Ponniyin Selvan 2. How working with him and his musicality moulded you and influenced you as a singer? Did he give you any golden advice that stuck with you for life?
You must have heard many singers say that once they enter AR Rahman’s studio, that itself is like a very big thing. So the very first time I entered, he recorded himself a scratch for a song and he definitely gave me many valuable lessons that I remember everytime I am standing in front of the mic. Initially, I was quite tensed since it was my debut song. He told me to try to bring more throw, that is how you would get used to the mic. So that was a very legendary pitch at that point of time. From then I started recording at home, just trying to sing in front of the mic and trying to get used to it. And now I have sung 8 songs for him so every time it is a blessing for me.
Qala has opened up a lot of avenues for you, where do you see yourself now? How are you going to take things forward and utilize the momentum you have got? Who would you like to collaborate with next and what kind of music can one expect out of you in the coming time?
Lots of love and lots of blessings I have received for all the songs of Qala. So ofcourse, I would love to collaborate with all the music directors if possible. Because I have never limited myself to only a few music directors. Whatever comes my way, I’ll definitely try to give my best and ofcourse now I am getting to work with prominent names like Vidya Sagar Sir and A.R Rahman Sir, it’s a very big blessing. Similarly, I would like to work with composers and ofcourse If I can get a chance to work with Ajay-Atul Sir and Pritam Sir, it’ll be a really memorable thing. Also, I’ve sung quite a few independent songs after Indian Idol which are yet to release, I am waiting for it. So you can also expect that.
While you have cemented your place in Bollywood, do you also have plans to release music independently? What are your thoughts on the current independent musical landscape of India as well as Bollywood music?
I think the Independent music industry has been picking up really well because few times when I go out to a restaurant or anywhere, I see independent songs playing more than Bollywood music. So in that way, I am feeling that we are also taking the influence from the western side and contributing to the independent which is so good. And as for Bollywood, I was born in South so most of my listening knowledge has been about songs from the South but nevertheless I think Bollywood has many underrated gems and songs which are my personal favorites. So I think Bollywood music has always remained popular.
Since you’ll be judging a reality show, as opposed to before where several singers won reality shows but disappeared soon after and only a few emerged to be as popular, what do you think is the reason behind that? Is it luck or something else?
I believe luck comes only to people who do hard work. So it’s hard work and consistency. If we keep on remembering why we started, that is when action comes into picture. So through that action, songs will keep coming for everybody. Just because we are absent it doesn’t mean we are useless. Perhaps something big is waiting for us. If we keep going forward with that mindset, I don’t think anybody will remember you as a failure. Because it’s all about the timeline, what timeline we are in and when we are getting our career boost.
Finally, what tips or advice do you have for people participating in Hipi G.O.A.T Season 2?
It’s definitely exciting because I have to mentor them and I would also get to sing few duet songs where we’ll collaborate, learn how to record, and what portions to select in a song which will elevate their strength also. Just believe in your strength. I think by this time, they would be knowing what they are good at. So carefully choose the song. Just because a song is viral or famous, that song may or may not work. Sometimes we get to know what we are good at so that would definitely help. Just be motivated. This is all from my personal experience. It’s not like I am preaching them.
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