Exclusive! Bhediya singer Debanjali B Joshi: There’s no entrance exam in the music industry, so you need to work hard

Young singer Debanjali B Joshi gave up her career in software engineering to pursue her dream. After years of hard work, she has started getting noticed by established composers and brands. From Call my Agent - Bollywood to Badhai Do and ad jingles – she has a steady growth in her career. Now, her haunting voice is an integral part of Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya background score, which is composed by Sachin Jigar. In a chat with OTTplay, Debanjali talked about her journey. Read on…

How was the experience of working in Bhediya?

It was amazing and very unique as I had to produce a very different kind of vocals than what we usually sing in commercial Bollywood songs. This effort was to create the correct emotion for the scenes. Working with Sachin-Jigar was absolutely a pleasure

How did the offer come to you?

Sachin-Jigar had my voice samples with them. In this film’s BGM they wanted a very fresh approach for the vocal dub. Hence I think that I got a call for the main theme of the film and thankfully it all worked out very well.

How is the journey so far in the music industry?

Though the journey is not easy at all in this industry, I feel leaving my Job as a Software Engineer and plunging into the music industry as a vocalist was the correct decision. I find my peace here.

I started my career with a music video where I got the opportunity to sing a duet with Shaan sir. Then sang devotional tracks for one of the major music labels of the country. I sang ad jingles for big multinational brands. I also experienced singing for animation films for Disney and Netflix (one of such works will be released soon)

Then I got a break in films like Amavas, Badhai Do, Street Dancer, etc. Then last year I sang the Title track of the Web show Call My Agent - Bollywood for Netflix and that was appreciated by a lot of people.

I also sang a few Bengali, Marathi, Gujrati, and Punjabi films in the regional sector. My song "Chhoya Chhuyi with Armaan Malik was loved by the audience of Bengal (as it's from a Bengali film). Finally, Bhediya happened and that is also loved by the people who have watched the film.

Is it difficult to make your place amidst so many star singers?

Yes, it is difficult but not impossible. The vertical of music and especially making your name as a playback singer is difficult because the demand in a film for a singer is very less and the supply of talent in this country is a lot. Plus, you need to know how to approach the correct people to showcase your talent. There's no entrance exam for getting selected as a singer in this industry, so you need to carve your way with your merit.

What will you suggest to those who want to make a mark in the singing industry?

I'm not that big yet to suggest anything to anyone but from my small set of experience, I can say that training yourself to get the best version of your craft and then believing in yourself (forgetting the daily hurdles) are the keys to having more possibilities to reach closer to your goals. This industry demands a lot of patience. So keep learning and keep believing in the Almighty. Also, these days staying active on social media is a requirement that I am still learning to do.