Usha Uthup on the Enduring Appeal of ‘Ramba Ho’

Once a song reaches iconic status, it doesn’t recede in recall value. Trust Usha Uthup to know. She’s been singing “Ramba Ho” for over 40 years, and now it’s big again thanks to the Dhurandhar soundtrack last year.

The hit singer tells Rolling Stone India backstage after her performance at The Sacred Amritsar festival, “It [the song] wasn’t ever forgotten. That’s why [on stage] I said I’ve been singing it for 40 years. When we prepare for our shows, there is no setlist without ‘Ramba Ho.’ It won’t happen. If I don’t sing, people ask, ‘Ramba Ho?’ And I always say ‘Ramba bhi hogi, samba bhi hogi’ (There’ll be Ramba and there will be Samba too).”

During her headline set at The Sacred Amritsar Festival, Uthup was very much the rockstar in her signature sari with flowers in her hair and a backing band that powered Bollywood classics (“Piya Tu Ab To Aaja,” “Auva Auva Koi Yahan Nache”, “Hari Om Hari”), English retro hits (From Lionel Richie’s “Hello” to Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You” and a medley that covered international songs and the Bollywood songs they inspired), and even a few recent hits like “Darling” from 7 Khoon Maaf, “Hai Yeh Maya” from Don 2 and “Bulleya” from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

It’s clear that Uthup doesn’t worry too much about making others’ songs her own, just as her songs have also been remade, like “Ramba Ho” for Dhurandhar and “Nache Nache” for The Rajasaab. “I feel very happy when somebody sings my song. I’m so thrilled. Many people ask me whether I knew [about the remake] or if they took permission for Dhurandhar about my singing, I said, ‘No. Why do they need permission?’ Once it’s out in the universe, it’s everybody’s. I’m very happy that they did it,” she explains.

Beyond exchanging greetings with old friends in the crowd, bantering with those dancing on the side section of the festival ground at Gobindgarh Fort, and prefacing her version of Adele’s “Skyfall” with a joke about James Bond, Uthup brought a local flavor to The Sacred Amritsar by performing a few Punjabi songs. From “Kali Teri Gut” to “Laung Gawacha” and a tip of the hat to Punjabi legend Gurdas Maan’s “Thoda Thoda Hasna Jarur Chahide,” Uthup kept the energy soaring while paying tribute to Punjabi greats. Among the more poignant moments was when she recalled her visit to the Wagah Border between India and Pakistan, and with that sang a somber excerpt of “Saare Jahan Se Acha.”

Backstage after her set, Uthup finds a seat and tells Rolling Stone India more about her visit to the border. “We [Uthup, her band and her crew] all went yesterday. It was the most exciting experience in our life, it was really fantastic… to think that there’s actually a border between two people,” she recounts. Ready to sing at the border itself, no one handed her a microphone… just yet. She adds, “Next time we’re going to do a show there, at the border. That’s what the Army said. So if we get a chance and I’m able to do that, then yesterday will be fulfilled, because I was dying to take the mic and sing… one day!”

Considering she was performing at The Sacred Amritsar festival, Uthup connected the dots between her music and the event. “Every song is dedicated to God. You will not find one fake moment of mine. I’m 100 percent honest,” she says. From visiting the Golden Temple to fulfilling her wish to sing Punjabi songs (“I wanted to do it so badly,” she explains), Uthup appreciates the “sanctity” she got to experience in the city.

Over the years, the demand for the singer has never wavered, although she never forgets her early days in clubs. Now, in addition to festivals, there have also been children’s books and, most recently, a postal stamp celebrating Uthup’s life and music. Issued in December 2025, Uthup says she’s going to send them out to family and friends, especially those interested in philately. “It was most exciting to see that,” she adds.

The schedule remains a busy one for Uthup and her band. She’s performed in various iterations across decades and knows what it’s like to be a touring artist. Ask her what’s changed, and her answer is simple. “Technology, fully. There were just five of us on the stage. No gimmicks, no gizmos or whatever you call it, just playing music and happiness and togetherness with the crowd,” she says.