The entire nation is dancing to the beat of `Ringa Ringa`, one of the songs of eight Oscars winner, 'Slumdog Millionaire'. One such person without whom this song couldn`t have left its impact worldwide is the vibrant and ethnic Ila Arun who is one of the reigning ladies of the music industry. Her voice complements the playful charm of Geeta Dutt and the resonating cadence of Shamshad Begham along with the simplicity and ethnicity of Rajasthani folk music. Ila Arun is unquestionably the undisputed queen of contemporary Indian folk-pop music.
Musical achievementsI am sure nobody would have forgotten the nostalgic `Mornee Baga mein bole adhii raat ko` from Lamhe and the mischievous `Choli ke peechey kya hai` from `Khalnayak`.She has sung in more than 50 films. Her songs made her a favourite of music lovers all over the world. In addition to being a singer, she is a composer, poet, actress, playwright, and dancer. She has also composed lyrics for 4 films including ‘Auzaar’ that was a huge hit during the period and has directed the music for 3 films. Her histrionic talents are very impressive. Last year Ila ruled the music and film industry. 2008 has put several glories and added famous works to her basket. Slumdog`s Ringa Ringa gave us once more the blend of romance and folk i.e. the combination of Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun who experimented together after the sultry and vivacious `Choli K Peeche Kya Hai`. She also lent her voice to the anthem `Halla Bol` of the celebrated IPL team Rajasthan Royals.Acting skillsShe has written the script of several plays and TV serials. She has acted in about 25 films. She also proved her acting skills recently in Ashutosh Gowarikar`s `Jodhaa-Akbar`, where she played Akbar’s foster mother. Her typical rural woman role in Welcome to Sujjanpur` also won a round of applause. Moreover, she has also played a sensitive mother in ‘China Gate’.She has acted in lead roles in famous serials such as Kabir, Tamas, Discovery of India, etc. She has conceptualised, written, anchored, and was the main actress in one of India`s first sit-coms on Satellite TV for Jaipur Doordarshan. AwardsIla is mysterious, vibrant, ethnic and popular both with younger hearts and the older generations. She has won numerous prestigious awards, in particular, the Filmfare Best Singer Award in 1993 and the Indian Music Industries` first ‘Diva’ award for Best Female Folk/Pop Singer in 1994. 2008 gave her the award for best negative role (women) in Jodhaa Akbar.Reality showsIla Arun is no stranger to reality shows. After Fame Gurukul we saw her again as a mentor for the famous musical show `Junoon Kuch kar Dikhana hai`, on NDTV Imagine which did not see a battle between mentors but between music genres- Sufi, folk and filmi. Quite naturally, she was the mentor of the folk gharana `Maati Ke Laal`. “I always like to do things emotionally close to my heart and personality. I’ve always been associated closely with folk and whatever I am today is because of folk music. I love the simplicity, rawness and rhythm of folk music,” said Ila, as an answer to her being the mentor for the genre.The singer turned folk-pop into a craze and her voice has the quality that rivets the young as well as the old. In Fame Gurukul, a TV show, she diligently trained the contestants as the headmistress of the Fame Gurukul school, where the contestants were trained for reality singing. Theatre She also leads a theatre troupe that mostly performs on women-centric themes. Once in the Prithvi Theatre Festival, her troupe performed a play in which she played Sita, who questions Rama`s credentials as a husband. And Rama comes across as a man caught in a political cobweb. Early beginning This lady with husky voice studied in Maharani Girls College in Jaipur. She did her BA in Music, and a Post Graduate Course in Acting at the National School of Drama in New Delhi. Ila’s full name is Ila Arun Bajpai. She comes from Rajasthan but presently lives in Mumbai. She also has a charming family. Her husband Arun Bajpai is in Merchant Navy and an accomplished videographer. According to Ila, he is her constant source of support and inspiration. Her career started with her song for all India radio for which she was paid only Rs 5. Mahesh Bhatt, the famous film director, was the first to notice her voice and introduced her to the film world through the film ‘Aashiana’. Since then, she has never looked back. Woman of substanceShe is a lady who wants to shun limelight, a singer, whose talent has earned her the reputation of an excellent composer, poet, actor and dancer. The actor has always been known for her flamboyant style off screen with multi-layered designer bindis and loads of costume jewellery. She is certainly a woman of substance. Although being widely acclaimed and awarded with the Filmfare Award for the Best Female Singer and Indian Music Industries Best Diva Award, she has not ignored her role of a responsible mother. Ila has diligently groomed daughter Ishita as a singer. She also works to patronize Indian culture. She took up the cause of propagating Indian culture with over 200 live shows across Europe and India with the Indian Council for Cultural Research (ICCR). Her reason of success is her single minded devotion towards music. On confronting trouble, she has always emerged from her own ashes just like the Phoenix. After being so successful, she suddenly slipped away from limelight. But what led to her disappearance from the scene after reaching the pinnacle of mass popularity with songs like `Morni` (in Lamhe) and `Choli Ke Peeche` (in Khalnayak)? The answer to this is simple. Vulgar remixes and rampant music piracy-forced Ila into long hibernation but the devoted singer could never resist the fervent urge to sing. Ila blends the rural and the urban traditions of India. She presents an evocative pictorial view of the different aspects of India; its moods and seasons, fairs and festivals, and the sensuousness of the monsoons. Her songs have an unmistakable depiction of Rajasthan in its full glory – the romance and expanse of the desert, the beauty and elegance of palace life, and the rusticity of the gypsies.
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