Singer Rupali Jagga: ‘I Proudly Say That I Am a Product of Reality Shows’ 

A big dream can only be fuelled by a bigger drive. India’s music landscape had been ripe for disruption for a while now, with diversity and audacity knocking at the door. A few incredible success stories was all it took to establish that the industry belongs to anyone that has the talent, drive and courage to take on newer challenges even as they embrace the changing tides. Singer Rupali Jagga, who started her professional innings on music reality shows seven years ago, is an international touring artist today with several hits to her name and millions of viewership on her YouTube videos. 

It all actually started for her at the age of six when she accompanied her parents on stage singing bhajans. “Later on everybody started appreciating my voice and my family thought that I could pursue music as my career. I trained in Hindustani classical for 12 years and my guru is Nidhi Narang ma’am; she is from the Agra gharana,” says Jagga. 

As an artist in a competitive industry, she says her best learning has been to face her fears. “You have to do things that you are really afraid of. And my own advice to budding young musicians is that there’s no shortcut to success; you have to take a long road to get sustainable success. I see people nowadays who just want to become stars overnight, but they have to understand that music is a workshop. It takes time to learn, it takes a lot of patience to learn it and then perform it. So if you want to be the kind of artist that people remember you have to take the longer, more disciplined path. 

Growing up, who were your musical inspirations, and who are your musical influences now? 

Growing up my musical inspiration has always been Asha (Bhosle) ji. I really really admire and love Asha tai. I have learned a lot from her songs; the small, small nuances she used to add in the songs. She is one of the most versatile artists we’ve ever had in Bollywood history. So definitely Asha ji, and if we look at the times now, then Sunidhi Chauhan. Because I always wanted to be a pop star and Sunidhi inspires me to be one with the way she performs on stage, the way she is flawless on stage. I am really inspired by these two women.  

You have made many memorable and hit songs! What’s your creative mantra — how do you approach making music and finding the motivation to pursue your dream? 

My creative mantra is that I just want that all my songs, whatever I sing for the audience, should give them the sense of peace, the sense of happiness. They should take back hope, happiness, and love from my songs. If they are stressed, they should feel relieved and that’s the only mantra whenever I make any song. 

Your family has been very supportive of your career, which is not a conventional career path in India. Can you tell us about what the environment at home was like, and how did it enable you to create music the way you dreamed of? 

My family has been really really supportive of my career. If they were not with me, I think I would have not reached this far. You know in India they say it is difficult as a girl child to do whatever you want, but my family has always been my wind beneath my wings. 

As you’re a multihyphenate (a vocalist, a dancer, a performer), how do you navigate your multiple talents in creativity? 

My number one is definitely singing. Music has always been my number one. I have given all my childhood, teenage, and adulthood to music. But yes, apart from music, I love to dance, I love to act, I’m a performer while I perform on stage. I actually feel that if you’re a singer you kind of have all the other creative qualities, be it dancing or acting. I love to dance, I love to act and maybe in near future you’ll get to see me in some acting project we are working on! 

How have your experiences with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Indian Idol, IPML, and beyond shaped your artistry? 

It has been amazing for me, especially for the confidence I have on stage right now. When you are in a recording studio, you can sing in multiple takes but when you sing in a reality show, you get just one chance and you have to prove your caliber in that. I proudly say that I am a product of reality shows.  

How important have social media and a digital community been to you during your rise as an artist? 

Social media has played an incredible and very important role. I don’t know about other people but for me it has played a major role in my success. When I started out in 2016, I was part of Saregamapa. That is the show where I got a lot of fame and I got a lot of fan following and you know a lot of fan clubs were made at that time. I’ve also been very active on my social media which has helped a lot of people from different countries to know about my music. It is all about how you portray yourself on social media, so it has both pros and cons. As for me I have used it very wisely so it has worked wonders. 

What songs of yours are the closest to your heart, and why? 

I would say it is my song “Chudiyan” which I released as part of the One Min Song series; it’s very beautiful. I also love the song “Tere Bin Jeena Kya” which I sang for movie Operation Romeo along with Vishal Mishra. It was composed by M.M. Kreem sir who won the Oscar this year for RRR. 

Then there is “Jogan” which was in the movie Good Luck Jerry, featuring Janhvi Kapoor. Another song of mine was “Piyaa Rangeela” by Himesh Reshammiya, which got really really good numbers on YouTube. 

As an artist who has performed in India, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Dubai, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, and beyond, what are some live show memories that are unforgettable to you? 
So I think each and every show I have done has its own uniqueness. The feeling when you hear the audiences chanting your name when you go on stage – that is priceless. That is the sound of love on stage! It is the best sound we as artists get to hear. I know we charge money for performing, that’s there, but I think the love we get on stage, the applause we get on stage is the best, you know, gift we get as artists. So that’s really unforgettable!  

What are you looking forward to, and what can listeners expect next? 

I’m looking forward to a lot of music coming out! There is a very beautiful song which I’m planning to release this month. It is themed around the rains and I am very excited about it. There are a lot of other songs in the pipeline too!