Indi-pop Hits: Do you miss 'Viva'? This is what India's 'Spice Girls' are doing

In the early days of 2002 Channel V India embarked on an extensive 45day quest scouring the nations length and breadth in search of remarkable talent to assemble an allgirl Indian pop group The climax of this exhaustive search unfolded on April 11 2002 as Channel V proudly revealed the chosen 5 who would become the core of Indias pioneering girl group Viva a remarkable desi counterpart to the likes of the Spice Girls or Destinys ChildThis quintet comprised of Pratichee Mohapatra Neha Bhasin Mahua Kamat Anushka Manchanda and Seema Ramchandani emerged as the winners of Channel Vs Coke V Popstar which was the Indian adaptation of the loved British reality TV show Popstars These talented young women were cherry picked by the discerning judges of the showFor the early 90s kids who had recently transitioned into the 2000s or the new millennium this group marked their initial encounter withreality music shows that offered a behindthescenes look at auditions and contestant interviewsEvery member of the band brought their unique musical background and training to the table which enabled them to handle the challenging auditions and secure their place in the group An 18yearold Anushka Manchanda the youngest of the bunch had put her studies on hold to pursue a music career Mahua Kamat aged 20 at the time had formal training in Hindustani classical music and a keen interest in RampB and hiphop setting her apart as one of Vivas pop members Neha Bhasin aged 19 was pursuing a degree in Sociology and was portrayed as the more mature member of the group Seema Ramchandani hailed from a musically inclined family and had big dreams of a career in the industry The eldest of the group Pratichee Mohapatra had six years of training in Classical music and was known for her carefree and funloving personalityAfter their selection all members underwent grooming under the guidance of music director Sandeep Chowta singer Shubha Mudgal model Sushma Reddy and fashion designer Manish Malhotra Over eight episodes these young women underwent rigorous musical training and received makeovers to fit the image of pop starsVivas debut album titled Viva was released in the same year under the Times Music label This album featured compositions by eight different music directors including names like ShankarEhsaanLoy and JatinLalit with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar Their debut track Hum Naye Geet Sunaye became their signature song a tune that continued to be associated with them long after they disbandedTheir first concert in Mumbai in April 2002 set a new Limca Record with a staggering 50000 attendees At the turn of the century these women became iconic figures in Indias pop culture scene They fearlessly embraced bold fashion choices from metallic eyeshadows to halter tops and were celebrated for their outspokenness They were unapologetic about their behavior and made waves for all the right reasons The group sang about smashing the patriarchy and the significance of having a girl tribe Their song Jaago Zara was a call to reclaim ones life and decisions urging individuals to fight oppression and challenge societal normsWhile their message was great and was truly a breath of fresh air internal fissures within the group soon became apparent Just six months into their rise to stardom Seema Ramchandani chose to depart Although the reasons for her exit remained a mystery their manager Lydia Fernandes suggested it was to pursue an Art of Living course a passion she held close to her heart Following her departure the band continued as a fourmember groupViva released a second album VIVAReloaded but by 2003 their journey came to an end as they disbanded For the longest time there was no official statement explaining why they had chosen to part ways However in a 2014 interview they revealed that they disbanded because they felt pressured to meet unattainable beauty standards and experienced constant bodyshaming and scrutinyIn 2020 fans witnessed a minireunion as the four remaining members came together to perform Jaago Zara on InstagramToday the members of Viva have pursued different careers Anushka Manchanda has become a singer and actor with appearances in films like Angry Indian Goddesses and a continued dedication to creating music Neha Bhasin has established herself as a popular Bollywood playback singer contributing hits such as AsaalameIshqum in Gunday and Dhunki in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan Mahua Kamat also a singer has lent her voice to films like Dev and Force and is frequently seen posting covers on Instagram Pratichee Mohapatra has enjoyed a successful playback career in Bollywood and ventured into acting