Born and brought up in London, versatile singer Harshi Mad is working hard to cement her position in the field of singing. But if you thought that all she wants is to playback for leading ladies of Bollywood, then think again! The vivacious girl finds more fun in doing events, roam around the world and meet new people. In an exclusive interview with BollywoodMDB Reporter, Mohnish Singh, the immensely talented ‘Raat Saturday Ki Hai Baat Saturday Ki Hai’ singer talks elaborately about her journey thus far, the joy of singing and doing events all over the world, and why she prefers singing more than acting despite possessing equal skills in both. Excerpts…

Q. Tell us something about your beginning in the field of singing?

A. I am born and brought up in London. So I started in the UK with Indian Idol UK. There were three contestants. I was the winner. We competed against India and Dubai. It was very nerve-wracking for me as I did not know much Hindi back then. My first struggle was learning the language. It has improved a lot over the years, though.

My second struggle was with music. I had never learned any classical form. I started training in that. Indian Idol is all about being a full package. You have to sing well, deliver good performance and look presentable. So, after winning Indian Idol UK, I also participated in Indian Idol 3 in India and reached the finals. Since then there has been no looking back. I am traveling all over the world, doing shows and events. That is something I love doing. That is something my focus in on because let’s be honest, that pays well (laughs).

Q. You have also done a film called Holiday…

A. Yes, I did the movie with Sonakshi Sinha. That role came coincidently. I had done an acting course from Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares. I just wanted to open myself a little bit more, because I was a very shy person before. So I took up that role. It really helped me. Afterwards, I got a lot of audition calls. But I had some really bad experiences there, so I decided to just focus on my singing career. That is working pretty very well for me.

Q. You have also done a song with Mika Singh. Please, tell us about that?

A. Yes, I sang the song ‘Raat Saturday Ki Hai Baat Saturday Ki Hai’ with Mika Singh. He is a great friend of mine now. But when I landed in India, people told me some horrific stories about him. I was really scared. But when I met him, he turned about to be really nice. He genuinely made efforts to make me feel comfortable. He was really very, very nice.

Besides, ‘Raat Saturday Ki Hai Baat Saturday Ki Hai’, I also featured as lead vocalist on the song ‘Jager Bomb’ with Dwayne Bravo. I keep doing a lot of covers also.

Q. Keeping your bad experiences with acting aside, what are you genuinely more inclined towards – acting or singing?

A. Definitely, singing! When I did Holiday with Sonakshi, I realized there is so much of hard work that goes into making a film. I had lost so much of weight for that role, yet I was told, ‘Madam, 5 kilo aur kam kar do.’ I mean, how could I starve myself? I think singing is my cup of tea. There is no pressure on me. I can eat whatever I like and do things accordingly.

Q. In case someone approaches you with a powerful role in a film again, will you pick it up?

A. If it’s a small role, I wouldn’t mind. If it’s not hindering my singing career, then definitely I can pick it up. Nowadays, actors are becoming singers, so why can’t singers get into their territory!

Q. You have also appeared in the singing reality show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. How was the experience?

A. That was again in the UK. Four people were selected by Himesh Reshammiya and late Aadesh Shrivastava. It was really a great experience as that show focused only on vocals. They need your sur intact. Since I was not trained in classical, I had a little setback there. So, I first did my training and later appeared on Indian Idol. So, that training definitely helped me.

Q. Generally, reality shows are said to be scripted. Since you have appeared in so many of them, what is your take on that?

A. I agree. I have this feeling that since they (makers) spend so much of money on making a show, so they definitely want their returns for which masala is required.

Q. When did you finally make your mind that you wanted to be a singer?

A. Years back I did a show with Sonu Nigam in Surat. There were around 1 lack people. That was amazing because I got to perform with Sonu Nigam in front of so many people. When I saw the people singing along with me and dancing to my vocals… and the energy that you give and they give back to you was amazing. It was then I decided I definitely wanted to be a singer. Whenever I listen to music, I just start grooving. I am made for music.

Q. Apart from singing, what are other things which you like?

A. I love traveling. My events take me around the world. I get to see the best of places and best of hotels. I love meeting new people, talking to them and learning about their experiences.

Q. Are you the first one from your family to opt for a career in singing?

A. No, my brother was the first one to do so. He is elder to me. He is classically trained. Nobody in our family had a singing talent. He just randomly decided that he wanted to sing. He was traveling. He did a show with Salman Khan. Then I was like, ‘I would like to do that, too. It seems to be a lot of fun’. Luckily, Indian Idol had come to the UK that time and everything just fell into place.

Q. What kind of music you like?

A. I personally love party songs. The moments I hear the beats, I start grooving. But I love listening to romantic and sad songs also. It also depends on what mood you are in.

Q. Anything else you are coming up with soon?

A. I have one nice romantic song coming up. It’s a single. I am yet to shoot that, so we will be having another interview for that (laughs). There is one more party song which is just coming up. It’s with Aditya Narayan.