Music profile: Alisha Chinai

On Her Own Terms

Playback singer Alisha Chinai, the original 'Baby Doll', rocked in Kajra re...The fiery singer has lost none of her zeal as she talks about why playback singers deserve a better deal and what she is doing about it.

Alisha China, her porcelain skin glowing, looks indignant. Playback singers, she states, are not given their due in the industry. They are not respected and are merely considered 'voices' in an industry where music plays a vital role. And to add insult to injury, they are paid badly. Why, she asks, should playback singers endure this shoddy treatment any longer? The same question she has been asking for more than 10 years, ever since she became a singer. In the same breath, she informs us that the reason she has maintained a career outside of the movies is precisely because of this treatment.

In an industry where singers are paid miniscule salaries compared to movie stars and still maintain a stoic silence, Alisha comes across as a refreshing change. She candidly states that money is important and no amount of fame that a singer achieves can compensate for the unfair wages that producers mete out to playback to singers. Alisha differs from those singers. She demands and gets paid her prices. She is also happy with the work she gets - on her own terms.

Alisha initially sang several numbers including 'Dance Dance', 'Commando' and 'Guru' - the kind of songs that were belted out in discotheques. Fitting, since she was music director Bappi Lahiri's discovery, known as the Disco King. Alisha's moment in the sun came when her album Made in India was an instant hit. That was way back in 1996. It is difficult to believe that 12 years have passed. Alisha's looks and voice still remain the same as does her candid way of expressing things in an industry which prides itself in being politically correct.

The singer admits that most producers would rather hire an inferior singer to save money rather than an excellent one at a higher price. Not that she cares. She relishes the work she gets and when not working, has several others interests that keep her fulfilled. Just last year, she released an album. One of the numbers' Shut up and kiss me', caused quite a sensation. She laughs and admits that although it was a candid song, it was not vulgar. Years ago, Alisha had sung the song 'Sexy, sexy' for Karisma Kapoor in Khuddar - she was not so lucky then since the words had to be changed after there were protests over the song's lyrics.

For a person who appears so practical, Alisha believes deeply in astrology. Her astrologer predicted that her career would make a comeback after 'Kajra re' and it did. She gives credit to Aishwarya Rai on whom the song was picturized, saying that the actor looked stunning and helped make the song a huge hit. She would love to sing for Kareena Kapoor and Vidya Balan too. That wish will have to wait until Alisha is offered just the right song at just the right price.