In her childhood, Veena Modani sang and pranced about whenever her mother called her for some work. Born in a poor family of seven sisters and a brother, she could not complete her education. Nor could she afford lessons in singing and dancing. Even the family was against her pursuing her passion. After years of struggle, she has succeeded in establishing herself. These days, Veena’s music attracts kids and elders alike.
Her rhythmic steps have acted as a therapy in the depressing times of Covid-19 lockdowns and won her several awards. She sings in eight languages and her fans call her the ‘Asha Bhosle of Rajasthan’!
Married off at 17, she was able to convince her in-laws after some effort over the years that she would be “incomplete” without music and dance. With her husband supporting her, she finally got the go-ahead to teach dance to children. Veena then started a dance academy.
Seven years ago, she began her career as a professional singer. Jaipur’s Grammy Award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and famous flute player Ronu Majumdar speak highly about Veena’s special talent. “Veena’s voice has the sweetness of Lata Mangeshkar and the intoxicating quality of Asha Bhosle,” gushes Bhatt. “The effect of her voice is like the confluence of rivers in Allahabad.”
She offers free training to needy children. “If children have talent and the passion to learn, then their financial condition should not be a hindrance. I work to hone the skills of children,” she says. Years ago, an NGO requested Veena to teach music and dance to about 60 special children living and studying in their organisation. Veena’s condition was, she would not charge anything. “These children suffer from serious illnesses but their energy level is high. When they dance and learn music, they seem to forget all their sufferings,” says Veena.
Listen to Nikhil, Kajal, Priyanka and Tarun Devesh — all pupils of Veena at her academy. “She teaches very well. Earlier, I could not dance, but now I am better with my steps. We have a feeling we can do something big in life,” says Nikhil who lives in a hostel. Vikram has been a singer for six years. “I used to make a lot of mistakes. But I have improved a lot after getting a few tips from her. I, too, would like to be a big singer like her.”
Veena also does free musical shows and dance activities for the entertainment of the elderly in old age homes. “Many people come to learn music and dance to overcome their problems. Music has a lot of healing power. Many cancer patients also come to me. Music is a mood elevator. It breaks your thought process. People often forget they have any disease,” she says. During Covid lockdown, Veena started online music and dance classes. Many of her students wrote back saying her classes gave them a lot of relief from stress, fear and loneliness.