Life has not been the same again for 28-year-old Sumitra Iyer after she quit her job as a software engineer to pursue her passion -- singing. Sumitra is now one of the nine contestants left in “Amul Star Voice of India” show on Star Plus.
“I am fondly called a Mumbaikar on the show,” says Sumitra, “I have stayed all my life in Mumbai and associate myself with the city. But I am actually a Tamil Brahmin. I come from a conventional South Indian family.”
Trained in Carnatic music, Sumitra says she had a passion for singing as a child and used to sing devotional songs. “I can sing fluently not only in my mother-tongue Tamil but also in Telugu, Marathi, Hindi and English. When I told my parents about my decision to do the television show, they were against it. They were not happy as they wanted me to treat singing as a hobby. After my reaching among the top nine in the show they are definitely happy.”
Admitting that she faced initial hiccups in the highly competitive show after leaving her job, Sumitra says that she was used to receiving a comfortable monthly salary. “Initially I wondered how to attract attention and balance my voice. But I have never taken this show as a competition but as a platform to prove my singing talent.”
Although Sumitra is currently aspiring to make a mark as a singer, she has not yet decided whether to continue in the field or return to her earlier profession.
“If I win the contest, I will surely try to become a professional playback singer in Bollywood. If I don’t win, then I might go back to my earlier job.”
– Madhur Tankha
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