Main Vaapas Aaunga singer Deepali Sahay: I don’t want to get into the rat race

Anyone who has watched Main Vaapas Aaunga cannot stop talking about its climactic segment, and the use of the evocative ‘Tere Paas Main,’ which left many moist eyes in the theatre. The AR Rahman composition, which almost works as a theme song, appears at many crucial junctures, capturing the story’s emotional core with great precision. And with a voice that carries these moments on its shoulders, singer Deepali Sahay has become an overnight sensation, earning instant fandom from thousands of music loversHowever, it has been a 19-year-long journey for the playback singer. Recalling how ‘Tere Paas Main’ happened, Deepali says, “January 6 marks the birthday for both me and Rahman sir, and it was on our birthday that he followed me on Instagram. Soon, his team messaged me that Rahman sir wants to record a song with me — Somehow one of my reels had reached him. This must be divine intervention because I had never tried to get into playback — not because I didn’t want to do it, but this path is very difficult.” Talking about the working process, Deepali notes, “You will be very surprised — there was no one around during the first recording, including Rahman sir. His capable assistants get the work done. Infact, I am yet to meet or even speak with Irshad sir.” Recalling director Imtiaz Ali’s brief for a particular section over a phone call, Deepali tells me, “He told me to sing the line ‘Jhooth Hai Ye Dooriyan’ like I am making a strong statement, like expressing a feeling that is so final. With an Imtiaz Ali film, you can understand the layering behind every song. After watching the film, I messaged him that even I forgot it was my voice — for me, it was the voice of the character, the story.”The overwhelming response to ‘Tere Paas Main’ reinstills faith in Deepali about the current generation of music lovers. She says, “The way young people are resonating to the song, it proves that melody is in our blood; we have been raised with it. Even now, we see songs of ‘50s and ‘60s getting so much love. We make space for everything — this diversity is our speciality.”