There are musicians who perform, and then there are musicians who live every beat of their music. Purva Mantri belongs to the latter. When she arrived in Hyderabad recently, it wasn’t just another gig for her; it was her first full-fledged Garba performance in the city, and she wanted to see if audiences would embrace it the way she had envisioned. What unfolded was an evening that left her amazed at the city’s spirit, its people, and its warmth.
“The audience was Kirak,” she laughed, describing the amazing audience. For someone who used to add a lot of Bollywood twist to her Navratri sets, she had been a little unsure if pure Gujarati Garba music would resonate with the audience here. “When I first came to Hyderabad, I thought maybe I would have to mix a bit of Bollywood into Garba, while still trying to keep its original essence. I was unsure how the audience, with Hindi-speaking, Gujarati and other communities, would receive it. But the way they embraced the authentic Gujarati, religious Garba was beautiful. Performing it as it truly is, with the spirit of ‘desh ka music’ taking temple music to the world, was an amazing experience for me,” Purva adds.
Her visits to Hyderabad are never complete without food, and she doesn’t hide her favourites. “I love lemon chai in Hitec City, and as a vegetarian, I always enjoy Vegetable Biryani with Salan. Plus, the Osmania Biscuits, something you can’t miss,” she smiled.
Perhaps the highlight of her journey so far has been lending her voice to a Garba song penned by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. “For me, getting this project felt nothing less than a lifetime achievement award, especially when my voice was approved for it. Until then, I did not even know whose song I was singing. I was only told that it was a sensitive project coming from the PMO office, and as singers, we usually just focus on the song rather than the stories around it. But when I went to the studio and recorded it, I learnt it was penned by our Honourable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi ji, and I was completely blown away. When he tweeted my name after the song was out, it felt like receiving another award, something I cannot compare with any of my other songs,” she said. For her family too, it was unforgettable. She remembered waking up to dozens of missed calls from her father, who, with tears of joy, broke the news of the Prime Minister’s tweet. “That was the biggest gift I’ve given my parents so far,” she said.
Her stage energy, meanwhile, has its own secret. “The audience is the most important part because they receive the energy we give and reflect it back to us. Their energy truly matters. Maybe it is also because I have turned my passion into my profession, which makes me love what I do even more. When I am on stage, it feels like meditation and a deep connection to the universe, and that is where my energy comes from, along with Maa ke haath ke ladoo, that gives me her love and blessings while I’m on the stage performing,” she reflected.
She draws inspiration from women whose stage presence speaks volumes. “Usha Uthup ji is someone I have admired since childhood because her character and aura are so strong, and her voice is truly unique. I would love to meet her, sing with her, or even just jam together. Alongside her, Sunidhi Chauhan is another artist I deeply admire, as she is simply class apart and a legend for young singers like us. In the folk music industry, Ila Arun ji has also been a big inspiration, with her power on stage and in her singing,” Purva said.
Among her many performances, one memory shines brightest; her first solo show in Surat. “There were 18,000 people, and for the first time, my father was in the audience. After the show, he told me, ‘Purva, I only know you were meditating on stage, so keep that going in life and you will be successful everywhere’. That has stayed with me forever,” she recalled.
Looking ahead, she is set to release her debut album around Diwali. “I am releasing my debut album this year, and we are planning to bring it out around Diwali. This first album is going to be a beautiful project, a story told through four songs connected like episodes. With two actors tying it all together, it feels like a musical web series, both in video and audio. It carries a folk essence blended in pop, in my own style, and I truly believe people will love it and shower the album with affection,” Purva shared.