Mumbai: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a famous quote by William Shakespeare. And it’s true, many a time people change their name out of superstition, or because they believe in numerology. Some even do it just to feel sexier! Recently renowned singer Roop Johrie changed her name to Rupmatii.
She says there was confusion in the industry, as many times people mistook her for Roop Kumar Rathod. She also had a fascination for a love story that goes back to the Mughal era. Like Romeo & Juliet and Laila-Majnu, the story of Rupmatiii and Baz Bahadur is one of those grand romantic sagas of history, filled with beauty and emotion. Rupmatii was an ordinary village girl, extraordinarily beautiful and blessed with a divine voice.
She was a Hindu singer of Malwa and some say a shepherdess of Sarangpur. Baz Bahadur who was very fond of music, once heard her sing and got smitten by both her enchanting beauty and her melodious voice. Even though it ended in war and death, this magical love story is steeped in music, poetry and romance. Now the world has a new Rupmatii, who lives and breathes music. She started her musical journey as a singer by winning the finals and being a part of the Mega-finals of the first ever singing reality show produced by Late Yash Chopra/ Pam Chopra and Lata Mangeshkar called- ‘Meri Awaz Suno’. In the following years, her multifaceted talent as a singer-songwriter came to surface through numerous albums and film songs. She shot to fame as a lyricist with the song ‘Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat’ by Aslam- Shibani. Recently, she has done playback for Bollywood films, one of them being ‘Gang of Ghosts’ by Satish Kaushik in which she has sung three songs which were critically acclaimed. Rupmatii sang a retro song in this movie which is set in the 50s and picturised on Mahie Gill who’s an actress of that era, ‘Nahi Dungi’ is a quirky romantic number. ‘Sheeshe Ka Dil’ also from the same movie is inspired by the haunting voice of Lata.
Singer Rupmatii says, “I have a great interest in music and also enjoy writing. I love Bollywood music. I first fell in love with music in an artistic sense when I heard Lata didi on the radio. Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle are my inspiration and I always wanted to be like them. Many acknowledge that Bollywood films are largely defined by the music they offer, and those who’re talented in vocals, lyrics, & composition can expect fame & fortune here”.
