Rashmeet Kaur: Why be a trend when you can be much more?

Having displayed exceptional grit during her stint on a stunt-based show, Rashmeet Kaur makes a strong case for women in music, and reveals why she isn’t eager to go viral

Rashmeet Kaur’s Khatron Ke Khiladi stint has made a compelling case for the notion that an Indian reality TV offering can often redefine an artiste’s popularity. Kaur, a well-known name in the Bollywood music industry, confesses that the reaction to her commendable performance and daredevilry on the Rohit Shetty-hosted show has been overwhelming. “Most of the messages that I have received are from girls who’ve told me they wish to be fearless [like me]. I was always in my element while performing the stunts. Of course, I was scared. It’s not as simple as going to the park and walking on a rope when you’re told to do so from the 22nd floor. But, with this, I could establish the importance of physical fitness. I could set the example,” says the singer, who confesses that being a yoga and gymnastics practitioner has helped her cultivate the kind of mindset she always desired to have. 

“I am the kind of person who aims to learn skills, not someone who simply goes to the gym and works out. When you begin to pay attention to physical strength, your mental strength improves too. Your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being are connected,” says Kaur, adding that she’d receive a motivational message from her yoga teacher often during her time spent on the show. 

Kangana Ranaut in Tejas

Her professional commitments, she says, are a reflection of the opinions she has cultivated over the years. “I want to be part of [projects] that have defined motives behind them. I’d like to sing all kinds of songs, but those that objectify women are the ones that I don’t approve of. The amount that I am getting paid doesn’t matter if I am not happy [with the lyrics]. My profile, as an artiste, needs to reflect my personality. If anything comes out in my voice, I want it to have an impact on the listener.”

After having rendered a Punjabi number in Rhea Kapoor’s recently released Thank You for Coming, Kaur has her eyes set on Kangana Ranaut’s Tejas, for which she has rendered the number, Dil Hai Ranjhana. It’s an important one on her resume, given that it is fronted by “another powerful woman”. "I have also rendered a track in Taapsee Pannu’s Dhak Dhak, which is again women-oriented. I have a soft corner for women. Everybody objectifies them—right from the Mahabharata or the Ramayana, to now with singers like Honey Singh. People only talk about their physical assets. I want to change it. I want to prove that women are way more than these factors. It is about community building, and women in music. It features female rappers as well, and I don’t think any woman has released an album like that. I want to establish that collaborations should be celebrated. Keep egos aside and work with people more often so that you can create new sounds and adopt a new way of thinking. I don’t believe in going viral with one reel. Trends come and go. I want to be [here] forever.”

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