Secret Superstar singer Meghna Mishra: I get goosebumps when I think of my journey

Zaira Wasim was the face of Secret Superstar as Insia Malik but her singing voice was just as pivotal in the film. Teenage singer Meghna Mishra handled that duty as she sang Nachdi Phiran, Main Kaun Hoon, Sapna Re, etc in the movie. Ahead of the world television premiere of the movie on Zee Cinema, Meghna performed at a live show. Before she took the stage, she chatted with After Hrs about her big, fat, Bollywood debut. “I was all geared up for the show. I had songs of different moods — from Secret Superstar and other mashups — including Lata Mangeshkar’s Lag Ja Gale.” The newbie tells us that she’s still overwhelmed with the response she’s got, winning awards and more. Over to Meghna...

Did you imagine Secret Superstar would become so big when you signed it?

I hadn’t worked with such people like Amit Trivedi sir and Aamir Khan sir before the film. When Amit sir told me that I’d been selected for an upcoming film for Aamir Khan, I asked him, ‘wahi Aamir Khan na jo films mein aate hain?’ (laughs) because it was unbelievable to me. I still can’t digest it. I get goosebumps when I think of my journey until now. Honestly, this is more than enough for me. I’m so overwhelmed that even if I don’t get anything else, it would be okay. Of course, I do look forward to more work.

Were you nervous working with them?

Initially, it made me a little anxious at times because they were present at each and every point. But gradually, I started blending in and enjoyed a lot.

How did you react to winning awards?

I’m always at a loss of words! Just being nominated was big enough for me because my name was being announced with other great singers. I didn’t think I would win.

What are you currently working on?

Right now, I am only doing live shows with Amit sir and other personal performances. I’m taking it slow for the next few months to concentrate on my studies. I lost out on a lot of study time this academic year.

Do you enjoy recordings more or performing live?

Performing live, because you are free to let yourself go and improvise wherever you want. When you record a song, you have to follow certain rules. However, recording is also important because if you don’t record, what are you going to sing live?

Who are your favourite singers in Bollywood?

I don’t have favourites as such. I follow all the singers. I observe them and try to imbibe their qualities because everyone has different strengths.

What’s the biggest lesson you learnt from Amit?

Dedication! He gives his best each and every time and everything is equally important to him. Before Main Kaun Hoon was finalised, he had composed five different melodies but Aamir sir didn’t select any of those. So, once while having dinner, Amit sir would have one bite and suddenly a melody would strike and he would record it on his phone. That incident was very inspiring.