There was a point in life when I had made peace with the fact that music is not my destiny and I will concentrate on my job. But life is unpredictable, it takes you where you are meant to be,” says Delhi Police Constable Rajat Rathor from Bhajanpura, whose rendition of Kesari’s Teri Mitti song went viral on Instagram and YouTube, recently.
"Now, I try to find time for practice. Consistency has been bit of a problem with the job. But I make sure that I practice for three hours after work, at least twice a week," says the 22-year-old, who is posted in 2nd Battalion, GTB Nagar.
Rathor harboured a dream since childhood to become a singer. His parents came to know about his talent, the day he performed at a parents-teacher meet in Class 7. "I got a big applause from my teachers and friends. I was so happy that I requested for a guitar from my father. First he said no, but finally gave in and got me a guitar worth Rs 3,000. I learnt basics of playing the guitar from a neighbour and practised on my own.” He even tried his hands at his grandfather’s old harmonium. I was the lead singer of the singing society while studying at Ramjas College. But, life had other plans for me."
In 2015, Rathor’s father died from jaundice, and in 2017, he was offered a job in his father’s department. "Because of society pressure and unfavourable conditions in the family, I took up this job. During the 11-month police training at Wazirabad, I cried twice because I had never lived away from my mother, who I love very much. Secondly, the training was very rigorous. Musical instruments were not allowed here, but singing was. Humming a song or two for colleagues and seniors after a day’s training was like a breather," adds Rathor, who also plays ukelele and piano.
Today, he is proud to be a part of Delhi Police. “I love my uniform as much as I love music. I work for 10 hours in office. Sometimes, I sing for my colleagues on their request, and my seniors are very accommodating. They always motivate me.”
His mother was the one who recorded the video of him singing Teri Mitti that went viral. “After returning from office, I had sat down to sing. She insisted on making a video because it was coming out well, and later I posted it on my Instagram handle @rajat_rathor_rj and YouTube channel Rajat Rathor. She feels proud when relatives call her and appreciate my talent.”
He even got a call from the production head of Indian Idol. “I have sent them my song videos. If I get selected, I will put my blood, sweat and tears into it,” adds Rathor, who doesn’t buy expensive instruments. “With my salary, I can’t afford to spend hefty amounts on equipment, so I make do with the instruments available at a reasonable cost. I have a Yamaha guitar,” adds Rathor.
He writes, produces and records his songs because he has also learnt music production from a friend. He recently joined Twitter. “I am waiting for a good platform to release my songs, and I am hopeful that I will get it this year. I was not very active on social media, but now I have created an account on Twitter. I will focus more on singing now.”
What songs do you sing?
Typical Bollywood songs
If you are not confident about a song, who do you go to for opinion?
My mother. I started singing with her as a kid when she used to work in the kitchen.
Favourite Singer/band
Arijit Singh/Jal band
How do you record your songs?
On mobile phone in my mini studio that’s in my bedroom. If a song is important, I hire cinematographer.