Folk singer Kalpana Patowary offers an honest take on the hypocrisy of the listener
Kalpana Patowary
Kalpana Patowary
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Like India's alternate film movement that underwent a change in the last decade to maintain parity with the Hindi film industry, item numbers entered art house tents. The song Layegi Bhookamp Khatiya Pe from Parched is an example, but one shouldn't dismiss it. Why?
"It has a rustic Folk touch and is in sync with the plot around a local erotic dancer, a feast for the villagers," says singer Kalpana Patowary, a Folk music exponent.
Parched broke the Internet when the sex scene between Radhika Apte and Adil Hussain was leaked. Patowary says, "Well, that's what India is known for, isn't it? Our audience isn't mature enough. There is a character in every film. I can cite examples from Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan, where the story revolved around a tawaif (a courtesan) who sang and danced to please her staple customers. But that doesn't mean we call Rekha (the actress in the latter) a prostitute."
The 37-year-old who spent good time in the Bhojpuri industry, is blunt. She has sung a lot of erotica and asinine songs, but never felt embarrassed to be a part of the crew. "I hail from Assam, the land of Folk music, but started my career in the male-dominated Bhojpuri industry," adds Kalpana, who rose to fame with the song Gandi Baat from R…Rajkumar.
She is the first woman to record Chhaprahiya Purvi (a Folk music form sung by males) due to her high vocal range. That apart, she has sung in 30 languages. "I'm keen to learn the traditional culture behind every language and enact it through my work. I like to have different angles to my music," she adds.
Currently, she's singing in Begum Jaan, a Mahesh Bhatt Production. "I am going to sing for Vidya Balan, I respect her. But if you talk about dreams, I want to sing Folk music in Yanni's arrangement," she signs off.
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