Fallen In Love With Someone I've never Met

Seeing the title, you must be wondering if I'm mad???...Actually I don't deny that completely. Recently I read a book "The Bridge Across Forever" by Richard Bach and he claims, people who feel lonely in a world of strangers, missing someone they've never met shall find a message from their love in this book. I didn't read the book intentionally, it was a mere co-incidence but it helped me keep a suitable title for this article.

To start with, I'm blogging after two years. The delay is because I couldn't just think of a better topic to pen down. The topic and content of this is so close to my heart that I'm giving my 200% and have done some research on this particular person to make reading a joy ride. As readers see behind writers' masks, you'll see what drove me to put these words on paper.

They say "Music" has no language barriers. This article clearly justifies that and sometimes music seems to take a person to a level where one can turn addictive to it when it's pleasant and soothing to the ears. If there are two electronic gadgets I can't live without, they're my mobile and mp3 player. The latter assumes better significance in this context. Yes, I'm a music freak and can keep my ears tuned in to good music 24X7.

It was in May 2006 when the audio of Rahman's Jillendru Oru Kaadhal got released. Being a Rahman fan, I can very well say that it was one of his best albums. All the songs were very good but one song was out of the ordinary and it injected a bed of roses into my blood. There've been some awesome romantic melodies composed in the past.. Pehla Nasha, Raja Ko Rani Se, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Ho Gaya Hai, Kadhalin Dheepam, Kaadhal Rojaave, Anjali Anjali..to name a few are my favourites. This particular song was definitely above all in my opinion and I remember Rahman was quoted as saying "Munbe Vaa is my favourite composition".

I was so much impressed that I used to listen to it over and over again and to be frank, it was and it is tough for me to close the windows media player even today when this song is halfway through. Both the singers had sung it brilliantly but after a while, I could sense that it was SHREYA GHOSHAL who was driving me crazy (and even more crazy these days).yes, it was the same 17 yr old Shreya Ghoshal who

~made Sanjay Leela Bhansali take notice of her after Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and she was called to audition for devdas in 2001.
~simply closed her eyes and sang Beri Piya (Devdas) without a break and it was recorded at one go.
~ won a national award for her first song (Beri Piya)
~won the filmfare award for Jaadhu Hai Nasha (Jism)

There started the love affair or rather my admiration for Shreya Ghoshal. To be precise, I'm enamoured by her. A 17 year old girl winning a national award speaks so much about the talent this girl possesses and the hardwork she's put in to get right there to the top. What I see in her is something fantastic and a terrific achievement. Born and brought up in an educated family with her father working at BARC (Bhaabha Atomic Research Centre), it is commendable to see what she has achieved inspite of the fact that she lived in rural Rajasthan till the game show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa happened. I'm a big fan of Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Yesudas and S.P.B but the voice, clarity and perfection in rendering the lyrics and of course her voice modulations especially in Jaadu Hai Nasha (Jism), Saansein Madham Hai (Kasak) really ignites a sense of freshness to the songs whenever you listen. To name a few more, Saara Yeh Aalam (Shiva), Har Taraf (Saaya), So Jaaoo Mein (Woh Lamhe), Ek Pal Ke Liye (Ankahee), Pyaar Bhara Geet (LoC Kargil) and Pyaaar Ki Ek Kahaani (Krishh) are some of her best. I will go on mentioning all my favorites but the list is a bottomless pit. I'll be doing injustice if I fail to mention her singing prowess in the song Rab Ne Mere (Aryan). Wow, simply mindblowing!!! what a song!!! It's definitely not the feminine factor which makes me rate Shreya higher her contemporaries but the gamut of her voice. I remember, it was my semester holidays in July 2006 when I started to download her songs which she had sung in those four years (2002-2006).

Recently when Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN questioned her as to how she could make Jaadhu so seductive considering the fact that she was just 18, she was speechless and was quoted as saying " I don't know, it just happened". There’s not a genre of music she has not touched upon…be it the melodious Beiri Piya (Devdas) or the classical Har Taraf (Saaya) or the Hindustani kind Piyu Bole (Parineeta) or the fast numbers Dil Liya (Dhol) and the recent Ye Ishq (Jab We Met), she has made them all 99.9 % perfect in my opinion. Sir Vivian Richards once said that Sachin Tendulkar is 99.5% perfect in technique and I just hope Shreya receives a similar compliment from a music legend.

She’s a sensation down south as well. I have no idea about her malayalam or telugu songs but she’s too good in tamil. Introduced by the maestro Ilayaraja himself in the movie Album, she’s been part of some wonderful compositions. I was of the opinion that her songs are only melodies down south like Khajuraho, Ninaithu Ninaithu, Munbe Vaa, Uruguthe etc.. but her recent Thaiya Thaiya (Vellithirai) has proved me wrong. It’s a fast number on the lines of Ye Ishq Hai or Dil Liya..In a recent interview to The Hindu, S.P.B admitted that he could do nothing but admire Shreya Ghoshal (but his definitely can't better my admiration) and rates her better than her contemporaries. He was quoted as saying “What makes her special is her keenness to learn languages and this is why she's a big hit down south. Her tamil diction is so very good and her pronunciation of "zha" is what surprises me”.Cheeni Kum by Ilayaraja has all songs sung by this melody queen.In that same interview to Rajeev Masand, she rated Cheeni Kum as her favourite album of 2007 just because it was Ilayaraja’s. Another great aspect of Shreya is that she can make an impact to a song in no time...for eg, her contribution to the song Mein Agar Kahoon (OSO) was just for 31 sec and wow!!....she has just made it terrific and, in my opinion, beautified Padukone.

It's tough for me take my ears away when I listen to Shreya Ghoshal sing. Credit goes to my mp3 player which acts as a "NOKIA" connecting me with Shreya Ghoshal. Just like the film Kaadhal Kotai, I had fallen in love with her even before seeing her/her picture online. When I googled , it was a sweet surprise to see her look ravishing and so so beautiful. It was something unexpected and my love for her only grew taller ...Was it her beauty or her voice which made me fall for her???? Without an iota of doubt, I can say it was definitely her voice which inspired and made me admire her but Shreya Ghoshal is a confluence where melody and beauty meet.

My life will be incomplete if I don't meet her atleast once in my life. My everlasting desire is to meet her, chat for a while to tell her how crazy she has driven me, take a photograph alongside her. I just hope my wishes come true one day... Shreya, are you listening??? If you’re, I’ll lift the lines from your recent song U Me Aur Hum to say “YOU’RE DRIVING ME INSANE”.

Do leave your comments after reading.This is a fan's tribute to his favorite singer. The respect and the adulation here is much more than what an Om had for his Shanti in Om Shanti Om. So here you go.....

Tumko paya hai to jaise khoya hoon
Kehna chahoon bhi to tumse kya kahon

Kisi zabaon mein bhi woh labaz hi nahi
Ki jeene mein tum ho kya tumhein mein bata sakun

Main aagar kahoon tumsa haseen
kaynaat mein Nai hai kahin
Tareef yeh bhi to sach hai kuch bhi nahi

I wish Shreya Ghoshal reads it one day. I pray God for that to happen

A Shreya Ghoshal fan always,
Rajesh