Tea with Babita Sarma

Dusk with dusky clouds, waiting for its turn to shower, divine atmosphere with aroma of “chaki” at “tulasi tal”, it was around 6:15 pm, Sun packed its baggage and left for its home, “the day was very busy for me as I have to go turns with my friends to settle down some of their problems”, entered a house “chiro porichita” known before, a known tall beautiful lady, with a sweet smile, welcomed us,

ki khabar? (How are you?)

bhaal ! (I am fine ) ,

apunaar ki khabar baidow? (How are you Elder Sister?)

muru bhaal! (I am also fine)

Wondering what I am up to? It was during my visit to Guwahati when I went to the place of Babita Sarma, a renowned Assamese singer, whom I know from a long time. Had a formal talk on her singing career and her life, on a cup of nice tea. Suddenly I felt like asking her about her past, how she started singing, what went on that she walked into this path, etc. etc; and I did what I felt like!!!

Baidow apunaar bixoiey alop maan kauk shun? (tell me about yourself, about your singing ladder of success)

She started singing when she was in 1st, She won her 1st prize when she was in 2nd standard, studying at Haripriya Vidya Peeth, (she sang a beautiful bhajan). This memento changed her life towards the large, beautiful, creative world of singing.

Since then she participated in lots of competition, she started stage (singing) performance when she was in standard 10th. When I asked her “who was your inspiration?” she replied very sweetly that her mother who is also a very good singer is her sole inspiration and her father who helped her a lot during her struggling times.

In the year 1998-99 her first solo album “Panchali” got released, the famous song “moi shahrar suwali buli nakoba, mone mur bishare aadar” still one can remember. Followed by 2-3 bihu albums where she gave her sweet melodious voice.

Year 2001, came with a bang when “Hiyamon” got released where she sang with famous Bollywood singer Zubin Garg who stunned entire industry with famous “Ya Ali”, and a series of “mon” got a initiation followed by “Aakow Hiyamon”, “Ringa Ringa Mon”, “Unmona Mon” & “Uraniya Mon”.

It is interesting to know that the idea behind the “mon” series was none other than her husband Diganta Sarma, a famous musician whom she met in the year 1995, and unite to the thread of marriage on 23rd November 2000.

Besides singing she gave her voice in couple of films such as “Prem arru Prem” with Zubin Garg, “Kadambari” with remix queen Saswati Phukan and Zubin Garg, “I Love You” with Jitul Sonowal and “Hitlist”

She gave her voice in “Aako dehajaan” with Kumar Bhabesh. One of her hit was “Nahar”.

She was awarded as “Moonlight Media Award” best singer 2008 for the movie “Tumaar Babe”. She is also an approved singer by Aakash Vani.

Besides singing she is interested in acting also, she acted in “Bhumiputra”, and currently she is the host/singer for “Aashiyana” a programme telecasted every Sunday on National Television Channel “Dordarshan”.

Few of her favourites in one minute:

Film : Halodiya soraiey baodhan khai, Tomraider, Astitva, Lajja (all women protagonist movies)

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Yeshudas, Hariharan, Kishore Kumar.

Actor/Actress: Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah.

Pastime: Cooking, Reading Novels.

Food: Chinese

Hobby: Drawing

Idol: Mother Teressa, (and any one who is brought proud to the motherland).

It was very nice talking to a multitalented facets of youths who aspire to be like her. Bidding farewell to her I left for my home with a exquisite notation, “akow aahiba”.

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By Pranjal Saikia, Pune