Eight-year old Jiya Wadkar, the daughter of popular film (Hindi and Marathi) singer Suresh Wadkar has just come back from school at 4 pm. Within 30 minutes, she is ready to converse about her debut album Sapnon Ka Gaon that was launched just a few days earlier, like a perfect birthday gift.
The video album has her singing and dancing to tracks penned by Pratik, set in a surreal space. “Whatever’s in it can’t be possible in real life,” she says.
Born in a family of musicians, it isn’t surprising that when she was barely two, Jiya could overhear her father and sister’s riyaaz, and lisp a few lines of classical compositions. Most of her inspirations are right at home in terms of singing; her parents and 16-year-old sister Ananya Wadkar Ananya is not only a sitar player but has also sung in films Aaja Nachle, Taare Zameen Par, .
Though Sapnon Ka Gaon happens to Jiya’s first solo album, she isn’t new to the entertainment industry either. She has crooned for a number of jingles, songs, the latest being ‘Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai’ in the recent Jungle Book as well.
Asked to choose her preference between classical and film music, “Maybe film music,” she admits.
Aaja Nachle, Taare Zameen Par Beyond family, she reveals her liking for singers Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal too. Jiya aims to be a singer and a dancer in future.
A proud moment
Her father Suresh Wadkar, who has collaborated with many eminent composers, from the likes of Anand Milind, Nadeem-Sharvan, Jatin-Lalit to A R Rahman and Ilayaraja, at the launch added, “It was only yesterday that we saw her idling her way, singing, playing, but an album under her belt is definitely a proud moment. Let us see where they’re (Jiya and Ananya) heading.”
