A young celebrity who wants to go slow in life

Marianne de Nazareth   |   Bangalore

19-November-2010

Vol 1 | Issue 12

Young, beautiful, and talented, with all the physical attributes of being India’s next Bollywood diva is Deepika T at first glance. But talk to her a little more and you realise that at the age of 25, the singer is an amazing role model for the youth of Bangalore and India at large. Having taken to classical singing even when she was a toddler, she had grown up in Belgaum with dreams and aspirations like any other child her age.

“It’s an inherited talent,” she says, “ but all thanks to my Mum who spotted it and was particular that I went for regular training. I trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani classical music. It’s the training in Hindi classical which helps me sing confidently in Hindi and the Carnatic training which gives me the ability to handle complicated melodies effortlessly,” she says.
 

Role model: Deepika says she is in no hurry to become a star, not realising she is already one

It was because of her mother’s unwavering support that she first sang in an English album with twelve other international artistes including Remo Fernandez. The album was cut to support the Haiti earthquake victims. For her efforts, she has been selected for the Karmaveer Puraskar award for citizen social justice and action.

“It is given to people like me in recognition of our efforts with poverty alleviation, communal issues, HIV, climate change, electoral reforms or humane capitalism.”

With a background of Electrical and Communicative Engineering from the GOGTE Institute, Belgaum, Deepika works as an engineer in IBM during the day and pursues her dream of playback singing whenever she gets contracts to sing over the weekend.

“I am used to multi-tasking through college, juggling my studies and extra-curricular activities, so I can do that even now. Yes, I do work long hours, but the weekends are when I do my recording. My social activities include giving free concerts to raise awareness for various causes. I am also General Secretary for United Youth of India,” she says.

Deepika was first spotted by Pakistani musician Faraz Khosa whom she met through a common friend. “He immediately liked my voice once I sent him a couple of my demos. I cut my first album called ‘Tanha Tanha’ along with him and it sold both in India and Pakistan. It got excellent reviews.”

Deepika is now working on a new album with Faraz which has a group of 16 artistes singing on it. Eight artistes are from India and eight from Pakistan. “We are just doing the recordings so I cannot really reveal too much about it,” she says.

Deepika loves Celine Dion, but does not aspire to be a Bollywood or music star. She says: “I want to be a role model, not a model; as I see that in today’s world moral values seem to have taken a beating and corruption is seen in every sphere. I feel one can attain peace by not running after fame and money. Today’s youth run after reality shows and then cannot cope with instant stardom thrust on them and slip into depression. I want to take things slow and let life deal me the cards it has to when the time is right.”