IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT IF VIVA HAD CONTINUED
Pratichee Mohapatra talks about the hurdles she faced after disbandment of Viva and cancer
T he year 2002 saw the rise of Viva, one of India’s best known all-girl pop bands. Part of the group were Pratichee Mohapatra, Seema Ramchandani, Neha Bhasin, Mahua Kamat and Anushka Manchanda, who won the first season of one of the first reality shows in the country. However, after two albums, Viva disbanded.
Opening up on the split, Mohapatra shares, “There was a distinct indie pop scene then, which got lost when Bollywood music took over. Even radio channels didn’t support indie music. We were one among the last few to taste the indie wave. But there has always been a dearth of girl bands and that is why everyone remembers Viva.”
But the singer does wish that the band didn’t fall apart. She says, “I don’t regret it, but it would have been great if we continued. I’m still friends with all the members. We have a WhatsApp group — Viva Forever. Last year, we got together during the lockdown and put out a song called Jaago Zara. It was a little thanks to the fans who continue to love us.”
Quiz her about a live Viva reunion and she says, “Maybe a concert will happen someday. Who knows!”
After the group disbanded, things were tough, reveals Mohapatra. Though she successfully released a solo album, “it wasn’t very easy to sustain after a point”. And soon, she took to live performances. “Last year, my song, Sab Ho Jaane Do (Mirzapur 2) was a hit. But live gigs truly became my bread and butter. I modelled as well and was the face of a lifestyle brand,” says the singer, who lent her voice to songs in Dor (2006), Quick Gun Murugan (2009) and Angry Indian Goddesses (2015).
However, being diagnosed with cancer in 2011 put a brake to her musical career. “The recovery took some time. And just when I got my bearings, I got diagnosed again in 2019. Then the pandemic happened. All this derailed things, professionally, but I took everything in my stride,” says Mohapatra, who had a recent release Aao Yaara.
The single, which she penned and composed, was released under the music label of her sister, singer Sona Mohapatra, and music composer Ram Sampath.
Currently, she’s focused on writing, and shares, “I used to be shy about sharing my writing but Ram encouraged me to do it. And Sona makes sure that I share them on Instagram.”