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VERSATILE Singer-composer Ritika Sahni

With her there’s no scope for clichés. She’s honest, articulate and passionate about her work. She may have sung in a couple of Hindi films like Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon and Rakht, but her real music is beyond Bollywood. With two Bengali, one spiritual, two pop, one Punjabi and a couple of nursery rhyme albums behind her, Ritika’s forte is surely her versatility.

“It is just that I have different choices in life. I believe in living my passion. I love to explore different avenues. Sometimes I do realise I am doing too many different things but that’s the kind of person I am. I love stretching myself to the maximum,” she reasons.

Her first Hindi pop album, Ritika, came out in 2000, and it took her eight years to come out with Namee, released by Times Music. “The album was in the making for two-and-a-half years. As the title suggests, its music and lyrics capture the tenderness of love. The listener can visualise images. The songs are very original and from different genres. The lyrics too are in pure Hindi,” says Ritika, who has composed three of the songs in the album.

The eight-song album, she says, vocalises the feeling of a modern women in love. “By modern I mean those who are free with their thoughts. It can be a city-bred women or someone from the rural side,” she explains.

Despite a decent start to her filmy career, does she regret missing the big ticket? The answer doesn’t surprise you.

“Frankly, my hands were always full with other commitments that I couldn’t explore that medium well. Anyway, Bollywood is not my destination. It is just another, may be a more popular, avenue for me. I was singing before films came my way, and will continue after it as well,” says the Kolkata-bred Ritika, who holds a Masters degree in Music.

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