‘Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai’ is not about two singing sisters in long plaits, says writer

Ever since the musical drama Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai was premiered on the entertainment channel &TV on March 7, it has been compared to Sai Paranjpye’s film Saaz (1997).

The daily soap revolves around siblings and rival singers Kalyani and Ketaki Gaekwad. This is also the premise of Saaz, which is said to have been inspired by the real-life playback singing stars and sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. However, Bhosle dismissed the movie, which stars Shabana Azmi and Aruna Irani, as well as the suggestion that its plait-wearing sisters were modelled on Lata and her.

The long plaits have re-appeared in Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai , starring Deepti Naval, Zarina Wahab, Amrita Rao, Aditi Vasudev and Pallavi Joshi in key roles spanning three generations. Any resemblance to Saaz or the Mangeshkars is a coincidence, said the show’s writer Bhavani Iyer, whose film credits include Black (2005), Guzaarish (2010) and Lootera (2013).

How did the idea for the show take shape?
Vikas Gupta, the head of &TV, and Nivedita Basu, the producer of the show, met me and shared the concept they had in mind. I loved their perspective, and once I learned that it was to be a finite series, I could see exactly how I wanted to shape the narrative. I worked out the story, the characters, the treatment and the graph for the telling of this epic saga that spans 40 years in the lives of the characters. Once I had the weekly story for all the 28 weeks down on paper, all of us involved knew exactly where we were going with the story.

Kushal Zaveri, the director of the show, has great vision and tremendous respect for writing and content. Every one of us was clear that we wanted to tell a story of these incredible, flawed and unique characters in a manner that is real, relatable and gentle.

Is the show based on real events?
No, it is not. The story is completely fiction.

‘Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai’ is an apt title, but it is confusing for viewers who might expect the show to be about the Mangeshkar sisters, especially since the title track features Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. Did you think of another title, or not using her voice to set it apart?

Right since the inception of the show by Vikas, the title has always been Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai. And you’re right, it is an apt title, so we never thought of naming it anything else.

As for people thinking the show may be about the Mangeshkar sisters, it was something we were always aware would happen. They are too iconic and almost synonymous with Indian music. But as the narrative unfolds and the story and the characters take form, viewers will know that this is a story of Kalyani and Ketaki Gaekwad and their lives, their worship of their artistic and gifted father Rajaram, their relationship with their strong and spirited mother Devika, and their interpersonal story of love, rivalry, betrayal, loss and a connection that is as much from birth as of the soul.

Did you conduct research on the lives of singers during your writing process?
I looked up the processes of singers, not their lives. I love music as much as anyone else, but I don’t play any instrument or sing. So I needed to understand how a singer or a performer would think and how the world around them influences and informs their music, performance and art. The character of Rajaram is a stage performer who, as some performers of that time would, dances in a woman’s garb. It is the same kind of research that I would do if I were writing about a character who was a painter or a sculptor.

As with all writing and writers, the best thing is to allow your characters to find themselves and let them guide your pen, instead of the other way around. And I’m thrilled that this has happened really early in the writing of this show.

In the second episode, Uma Devi’s song ‘Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon’ from Dard (1947) plays on the radio, while Rajaram sings the lullaby ‘Surmai Akhiyon Mein’ from Sadma (1983) to his ailing child. Why have songs that are outside the period setting been used?
Music is integral to the telling of this story. The original music of the show has been composed by the very talented Shivi Kashyap. As for the other songs used in the show, they are upon the discretion of the channel and the rights that they possess over the originals to be used in situations that befit the music or lyrics.

How has the show been received?
I have got calls and messages from several film personalities that I have closely worked with telling me how much they like the show. And there have been an incredible number of calls and mails and texts from people who are completely unconnected to my world of films and television, who have taken deeply to the characters and the setting and the world that is depicted in the show and who have not missed a single episode. It is early days still, and we are hoping that we will have even more people tuning in and hopefully loving the characters and the story that we love beyond words.