Soulful Sanjeevani

Sanjeevani Bhelande, the singer best known for her melodious songs from the 1998 film Kareeb, recently enthralled audiences at a fund raising event by an NGO that supports rural children. CS gets Sanjeevani to talk about her passion for music:

Socially aware
I believe that it is very important to educate girls. In fact I have my own foundation where we promote Indian art, environment, and most importantly education of the girl child.

Meera: My star
I sang my most popular songs from Bollywood, old Hindi songs from all decades and my most recent translations of Meera into English at this event. I look up to Meera so much because she was a modern and liberated woman who was way ahead of her times. She was so dedicated that even if she sang and danced on the streets, she was not looked down upon.

Understanding Meera
Like Krishna was for Meera, music is for me. As a kid, I sang the song Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo a lot. And I was curious to know why Meera is so happy singing for someone who she hasn't seen. As I grew up and started getting deeper into her poems, I felt the sense of joy that probably she felt. That's when I started grasping the fact that even if there is no physical form given to Meera, it's not necessary. Because she lives on as a soul.u00a0