I in school, when I heard Woh Beetey Din for the first time. It was from the horror movie Purana Mandir by Ramsay Brothers. Sung by Asha Bhosle and Ajit Singh, the song had an element of sadness and heartbreak in it. Then in the early 2000, the track was reprised by Tanya Singgh, daughter of Ajit Singh. It had a western element to it. And now in 2022, once again the song is re-created in a completely new look, feel and sound by Tanya in association with T-Series. I must say the catchy tune is still going in my head. Recently I spoke to Tanya to know more about her comeback and starting again with the same song. There was an interesting journey that she took me through.
You can watch the song here:
Read the excerpts from the interview here:
On going down the memory lane…
This song is very special to my family, my father Ajit Singh had composed the song in the 80’s in Purana Mandir. When I made my singing debut in 2000, this was my choice of song. That time papa was there with me in the studio. We all love this song in my family, it has been 20 years that people had heard that rendition. So I feel this generation is ready now to listen to this song in a new way.
On western influences in Indian music…
Yes, I feel the same, there is more rap that’s now coming into our zone. Earlier there were few singers who would rap, they were called pop artists. Now, I think there is a lot of EDM, and rap. We have a lot of western influences in our songs, but still Bollywood is Bollywood. If you stick to the core essence you can create an item song or a love song, Dil k taar to chid hi jatey hai.
On her favorite genre of music….
Music has no language, I love all kinds of music. I like Spanish songs, Punjabi music, Punjabi is one of my favorite zone of music along with English, Hindi, Bollywood of course. One of my favorite songs is in English called Unbreak My Heart. In my playlist you will find Hanuman Chalisa, Turkish music, AP Dhillon, Reggae, Enrique Iglesias.
On learning music…
Music has to be inborn and training is very important. When I started singing, I used to do light classical that helped me in strengthening the local chords. I started self training during the pandemic at home. As you mature, your voice changes so I had to find my voice again. I had to do a lot of riyaz at home. I am not formally trained, I am self taught.
On her next project…
My upcoming track is already kind of recorded, and needs a bit of re-work. It is an original; written and composed by me. It’s a love song but with a very homely feel to it.
On challenges as a singer…
To connect with listeners who have a typical mindset of music when it comes to liking a song. The younger generation is my core audience, if I can break through and make them like my music as well, I think I would have achieved something.
Directed by Prem Raj Soni, Woh Beetey Din also features Spanish actor Ugur Gunes. The lyrics have been penned by Tanya’s mother Gittanjali Singh.