Revelling in the sound of music, Indipop crooner, Pratichee Mohapatra, looks at life beyond Viva with her album, With Love Pratichee

Her singing talents were first noticed on a reality TV show, a phenomenon that has since mushroomed on various channels and straight into the consciousness of the TV-viewing Indian public. Pratichee Mohapatra, of the quartet of girls formerly known as Viva, was made famous by the free for all peep into the sometimes melodramatic, but very priceless, behind the scenes footage of hordes of youngsters, all clamouring to be ‘discovered’ as the newest sensations on the Indian music horizon.

Post Viva, Pratichee put to test her modelling abilities, something she still indulges in when the offer takes her fancy. Now, she’s back to doing what she loves best: singing. Only this time, it’s a solo effort. “It’s a good mix of fast-paced numbers and romantic ballads, something that will appeal to all kinds of listeners,” she ventures. A solo album after being habituated to more than one voice in a song must have taken some getting used to, but she says, “Well, the approach is different, but in a lot of ways it is easier to sing individually than in a group. In a band, all the voices need to gel together well.”

Given that Viva was her platform to musical glory, does she catch any of the many song-based reality shows on TV? “I did watch the last few episodes of Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul when things really hotted up. I think it’s great because it brings to the forefront the talents of many youngsters who otherwise would have struggled to make themselves heard.” And what is her take on the Indipop scene that is her resting place for the moment? “ It is quite bad with this crazy overdose of remixes that the listeners are being subjected to. But I do have hope of things changing for the better soon.”

- GK