Bollywood superstar Kakkar to perform in city

BOLLYWOOD singer Neha Kakkar is set to entertain Cape Town fans with a concert in the city next month.

Kakkar, 30, from Delhi, India, boasts a massive international fan base, and is one of the few artists to reach over 450 million hits on YouTube.

She’s set to perform at the CTICC on July 15, in association with Shalimar Promotions and Independent Media.

Kakkar’s singing aspirations began at the age of 4, when she accompanied her older sister Sonu to concerts. It was Sonu who inspired her to start her musical career.

Her first big break came in 2006 when she was a contestant on Indian Idols.

“I still remember the excitement on being shortlisted and selected in (the) top 10. I will give full credit to the Indian Idol platform for grooming me as a singer and shaping my career,” she said.

Since then, her career has come full circle – she’s been selected as a judge on the show that gave her her big break.

“I instantly took the offer to judge Indian Idols because I know the journey from being judged to judging on the same stage is going to be a memorable experience for me.”

In 2008, Kakkar produced her first album Neha – the Rock Star with music composed by Bollywood heavyweights, the Meet Bros.

A year later, she started performing as a playback singer.

Since then, her ascent within the Indian music industry has been meteoric and she boasts a fan base in India and abroad.

In 2009, Kakkar cemented her star prowess with the title track from the film Blue, which featured a cast including Bollywood kingpins Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt, with a musical cameo by Kylie Minogue.

She delivered her first super hit track Second Hand Jawaani from the movie Cocktail in 2012. Incidentally, Cocktail, which stars Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, was shot extensively in Cape Town.

From there, the foundation of her success story was laid. She went on to deliver hit numbers like Dhating Naach from Phata Poster Nikla Hero and Sunny Sunny from Yaariyan (both shot in Cape Town) and London Thumakda from the acclaimed film Queen.

More recently, her songs have garnered hundreds of millions of hits on YouTube, such as Kala Chashma from Baar Baar Dekho with 465 million plus views.

Kakkar’s popularity is also on the rise in South Africa.

Her concerts attract thousands of people and at every performance she aims to give audiences something different.

“I cannot really recall when I faced stage fright because I started so young. It’s my natural habit. But, you know, I can see how I have changed, rather improved, as a singer. I never had a formal training but regular practice of singing,” she said.

“I am fortunate to be successful. People’s love is precious to me. I can never take that for granted.”

Tickets to Kakkar’s Cape Town show are available at the A1 DVD and CD Centre, which can be reached at 083 992 7714.