Shweta Pandit could easily pass off as one of the many good looking students who had assembled at the University of Wollongong Dubai to hear veteran director Subhash Ghai speak. The playback singer, song writer and live performer who had performed with AR Rehman in his concert in Dubai comes from the family of the maestro of Hindustani classical music, Pandit Jasraj.
Having interviewed Panditji a few years ago in Vadodara, it was sheer pleasure to interview his talented grand-daughter. Shweta started her career at the age of 5 singing for the legendary composer Ilayaraja in Mani Ratnam’s Anjali which was re-recorded in Hindi from Tamil too. At the age of 12, she got her first big leading break with Yash Raj Films with Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein in 2000 with 5 leading songs.
Shweta is the fourth generation of vocalists of the Mewati gharana. Her great grandfather was the Hindustani classical legend from Rajasthan and Haryana – Pandit Motiram and his younger brother Pandit Jyotiram, were the veterans of the Mewati Gharana. Her great-uncle is Padma Vibhushan – Sangeet Martand and legendary Hindustani classical vocalist, Pandit Jasraj (Born 1930) and she learnt music since the age of 8 from his elder brother, Sangeet Acharya – Pandit Pratap Narayan (1918–2002). Her Father, Vishwaraj Pandit is a classical tabla player and used to be a music director in the late 70’s and early 80’s with his younger brother Jatin.
“When I saw my elder sister perform and get accolades, I modeled myself after her,” says Shweta self- effacingly. Her elder sister, Shraddha Pandit who has been a playback singer since 1997 with films such as Khamoshi, Delhi 6, Sangharsh, Khoobsoorat, Band Bajaa Baraat. As a child artiste, she has sung for films such as Pardes, Raju Chacha, Dil Kya Kare, Saaz (where she collaborated with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain as Music Composer) and many more.
Ask her about her association with AR Rehman and she gushes about the idol. “It is great to work with someone who is so grounded. After he won the Oscar, we thought he would change but he has been the same. It is inspiring to be associated with someone like him,” she says. Shweta has also performed the track Jai Ho from “Slumdog Millionaire” with Rahman on 11 December 2010 at the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway which was hosted by Hollywood superstars, Denzel Washington and Anne Hathaway and attended by the King of Norway.
And what does Pandit Jasraj himself think about her music? “Many of my songs are racy peppy numbers and initially I would be a little panicky whenever he would call me to talk about my songs. It is like the butterflies in the stomach feeling that you have before your exams etc, but, he has always been appreciative. However, because he is such a legend, everytime my heart skips a beat when I am summoned,” she laughs!
