For Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar, playback singing began almost as an afterthought. She was a bassist in AR Rahman’s band when, during a trip to Florida, Rahman asked her to sing a scratch track. She had little sleep, and only coconut water to keep her going. Sitting on a stool with headphones on, she recorded what she assumed was a demo. But it became Maskara, her playback debut in Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga. The song has since crossed 25 million views on YouTube. “It was a DIY project. We were tired, but Rahman wanted to record. There was only coconut water to drink, but a lot of food. I was also completely sleep-deprived. I understood the challenges of playback singing,” says Dastidar.
She did not know whether her vocals would be used in the final song. That became clear only later, when Rahman called her to Chennai, recorded her properly and showed her an email from the director approving her voice. “I didn’t know whether my voice would be kept in the long run,” she says.
The Bandel-born musician started singing in childhood. The bass came much later, in 2017, and developed into passion. Dastidar was preparing to join a bank when a message from Rahman’s team changed the script. By 2021, she was part of his band, belting out Chaiyya Chaiyya and Patakha Guddi. “Rahman’s thought process regarding a person’s voice and where it could fit is beautiful. He understood the texture of mine suits Sufi-Punjabi songs,” says Dastidar. Working with Rahman changed the way she approached music. “What I learnt from him is that less is more. He keeps saying you can show your skills with just one note.”
Now Dastidar, who calls herself a “bass singer”, hopes to release an album while staying open to playback opportunities. “Playback singing is a dream for every vocalist,” she says. Dastidar’s bass line has led her to another stage.
