The coolest twist of fate

Viva girl Anushka Manchanda is no new face in Bangalore party circles. Nolan Pinto however got a chance to catch up with the dusky beauty and she did spill some precious little beans for us...

I went to interview Anushka at a five star hotel where she was performing earlier that night. It was late and she was exhausted after her performance, but the bubbly girl that she is, she was still ready to give me some time. We spoke for what seemed like an hour, and the lanky, funky, hyper and talkative beauty blew my mind!

Anushka is a fun person, and she more than entertained me all through the interview. I really wish more women were like her!

With an initial love for advertising, she decided to pursue a career in that field. She dreamed of becoming a 'hotshot ad exec', (in her own words) but ended up being a singer, songwriter and a musician.

How, you ask? Read on...



So, what are you up to these days?
I have a band named Shkabang that was formed in August this year. We have only done three gigs till now. My band excites me the most and I love it because we still are so new and elastic. I prefer calling our music 'electro pop rock bubble disco' (Giggles). I'm occupied knee-deep in making this band function and do really well.

Advertising to music, how?
My family was to migrate to the US, but just before that, my precious dog bit me on my face. So, everything was on standstill for sometime. The auditions were announced for Viva at the same time. I decided to audition after my parents consented and Voila! I was selected!

And then you became a VJ?
Viva was doing so well, but we eventually split. I had no intention to go back home, so I decided to make a list of jobs that I could do. One of them was to be a VJ. Funnily enough, the day the list was completed, I received a call from Channel V for auditions and it all worked out, what else can I say?

Bollywood, understood. Tamil, Telugu?
(She laughs) I just finished a jingle in Tamil and Malayalam and believe me it wasn't that hard. It's all about the phonetics and that's how I managed to sing in these languages. I also sung a song in Kannada a long time ago for the movie Aishwarya. But, I get called to sing all these erotic, raunchy songs and they never ever explain the meanings to me! So I'm kind of weary about them now. (She smiles)

Bangalore to you is?
Bangalore is a great place to perform. I am also a huge fan of Opus. But the nightlife being curtailed is the biggest problem in this city. It is really stupid when others decide what time I have to go to sleep. However, I do find the men extremely educated in Bangalore. They focus on their studies so much, so guys over here are just so much smarter!

How would you describe yourself?
I am a vagabond at heart but I need action and a fast paced life. Today, music is my focus and right now I'd want that to be my dream for the rest of my life.