Didi No 1: Haimanti Shukla opens up why she never got married

Veteran singer Haimanti Shukla opened up about her journey as she appeared on Rachna Banerjee’s Didi No 1. She talked about why she remained unmarried. In her family, there was the culture of Hindustani classical music. She grew up in that environment. Her first recorded song was E To Kanna Noy Amar in 1972. Her voice won the hearts of millions of people, be it Najrulgiti or Bengali classical music. Recently, the veteran singer came to Rachna Banerjee's show Didi No. 1. 

The singer has a smiling face with a calm demeanour. She has a large red bindi on her forehead and she wears mainly white or of-white sarees. She loves her students as a mother. Music is her life. She said these things in the show.

Haimanti said she doesn't know anything apart from music, which is her lifeline. 'I don't like anything apart from music. You may ask why I did not have a family. My only love is all-encompassing music.'

Rachna asked, “You were so busy with music that you did not start a family?” The singer replied, “I never thought like this. I never gave it a thought that I did not have a husband or kids. I have many children, they call me mother.”

Rachna again asked, “Did love come to your life?” Haimanti said, “Perhaps, but I never realized. Many people ask me how I sang so many love stories. I reply that my mic becomes my lover.”

She had her first training with her father, Pt. Harihar Shukla. She used to play tanpura from her childhood. She got the scholarship on Indian classical music in 1971. She was awarded the Mian Tansen Prize in 1975. She was awarded the Sur sringar Prize in 1981. She also got Pramathesh Barua Award and Kalakar Award.

Haimanti Shukla sang in Odia, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, and Bhojpuri languages also. She sang songs like Amar Bolar Kichu Chilo Na, Ekhono Sarenggita Bajche, Dake Pakhi Kholo Ankhi, Thikana Na Rekhe, Ami Obujher Moto, and Ogo Bristi Amar.

Rachna’s Didi No 1 streams on Zee5.