‘Gauhar Jaan always lived on a high note’
She won a National Award in 1997 for her role in Shyam Benegal’s film Sardari Begum (1996), but that never stopped Rajeshwari Sachdev from wearing multiple hats. From doing theatre, singing to hosting shows, working in TV and films, the actor has certainly come a long way. With her play, Gauhar, directed by Lillete Dubey, to be staged soon, Sachdev says that the story of the artiste on whom the play is based, is “very inspiring”.
Talking about the play Sachdev says, “In the play, I play Gauhar Jaan, who was the first recording artiste in India. She was a big star with around 800 records to her credit, which was considered a huge success during those days. After making a name for herself at the age of 14, she started writing and making her own music. All her songs are still sung and recreated by many singers.”
Sachdev also adds that although the singer was very successful and popular, she had a sorrowful death, and “her journey is an exciting story to tell”. She says “She had a colourful life but in spite of all that, she died penniless. It is an exciting role to play because here is this woman, who was so passionate about what she did. Everything she did in her life was with extreme intensity — be it love, hatred or singing. She had full commitment for everything, nothing was lowkey for her. She always lived on a high note. Encapsulating her life in a two-and-a-half hour play doesn’t seem to be enough.”
Sachdev says that she had to work on her singing skills as she performs bandhishein (a melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music) live on stage. “I did attempt learning classical music during my childhood, but it didn’t work out. So, practically, I don’t have much training in classical music but as an actor, that is the exciting part because you always want to challenge yourself. I wouldn’t say that I started on the best note, as far as my singing is concerned, because I was always scared, thanks to the uncharted territory. But I have worked towards these bandhishein and yes, I sing them on stage with full confidence now,” she adds.
Sachdev started doing plays at a very young age and she has had many funny moments throughout the years. Remembering one such fumble, she says that she had a “mind of her own” as a kid and always had a strong opinion about things. “I must have had plenty of goof-ups on stage as I have been doing theatre since a young age. But I must tell you, that it has taught me to be more alert.
I remember once when I was very young, and I wasn’t very convinced about the end of a play that always had two endings . So, when I reached towards the end of the play, I was somehow not convinced and found it impractical. So, I applied some logic to it and gave it a completely different ending. My director freaked out and said, ‘you can’t do that’. I can never forget that incident,” she reminisces.