Abhishruti Bezbaruah

With cutting-edge media, innovation and digitization, new avenues are emerging for emerging talented singers and musicians. One such musician, performer and influencer is Abhishruti Bezbaruah from Guwahati.

Abhishruti, as an influencer, is making a mark through her independent music and content. Among others, she gave a new dimension to the Assamese traditional folk music ‘Bihu’ with her popular song ‘Roi Roi Roti’ – which is a global hit today. Abhishruti says that in order to stand out through independent genres of folk, country music and other forms, one needs to buckle up and highlight the strengths rather than being a part of the rat race. “Trend is what we make and not the one we follow. The latter is only imitation,” she said.

Hailing from Guwahati, Abhishruti Bezbaruah since her childhood has been extremely passionate about music and dance. At the age of six, she started her formal training in Indian classical music and dance.

While her parents wanted her to study medicine, her interest for music made her write a letter to her parents. “I become very anxious whenever I see blood although everyone close to me thought I would become a medical professional. Eventually, I made up my mind and one day, I gathered courage to confess to my parents about my ambition by writing a letter,” she says.

After her honest confession, her parents supported her. Later, Abhishruti was chosen as the lead vocalist for the play ‘Habba Khatoon’. It was her first-ever studio experience as she recorded her songs in Delhi. Soon after, she had the opportunity to meet ‘Umrao Jaan’-famed director Muzaffar Ali who chose her as the lead voice for his dance drama ‘Gomti’. These were among the first few steps which led her towards being an accomplished singer and performer.

“Music was something which is in our tradition. My father used to play banjo and mandolin, my paternal uncle and aunts were also singers and musicians who encouraged me in life,” Abhishruti says.

Abhishruti Bezbaruah

Being an influencer

Original content is always appreciated by the audience. As an influencer, Abhishruti is always active on social media and interacts with her audience regularly. She says that one needs to constantly hone their talent. “Out of the glitz and glamour, quality content always finds its own way through socially viable mediums. When a singer lends their voice for a film one cannot claim it as their own. When it comes to Assamese film industry, or the music industry here, we are predominantly an independent industry from the past and that is our pride,” she added.

Abhishruti says that the influencer content industry is still in the growing stage in India. She pointed out that today there are many platforms which can connect artists worldwide besides helping them release their own original content – be it music, art, dance etc.

Abhishruti has been an artist who believes in sincerity and dedication. Coming from a classical background, her music reflects a touch of her roots. In April last year, she released her folk fusion Bihu track ‘Kerumoni Thuriya’. It is a traditional Bihu folk composition which has been passed on orally through generations. The song gained momentum gradually and is well appreciated by Assamese music lovers.

Making a difference through strong content

Abhishruti is keen to deliver content keeping the raw flavor of music intact, giving the essence of originality. Her recently-released Assamese song ‘Ore Raati’ is another new concept video inspired by live experiences of transgender people. The upbeat song addresses the struggles, gender identity, taboos of the society relating to the transgender community. The song is an honest effort urging society to embrace the LGBTQIA+ community.

Working with the best

Abhishruti has the experience of working with some of the best in the Hindi film industry. In 2011, she started working with Academy Award winning ‘Slumdog Millionaire’-fame sound designer Resul Pookutty. One of her first work was for the movie ‘Ra.One’ and eventually she worked in many Indian films such as ‘English Vinglish’, ‘Kick’, ‘Highway’, ‘Good Road’ (Gujarati), ‘3’ (Tamil) etc.

She has also worked in Hollywood movies like ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, ‘Partition 1947’ (Viceroy’s House).

In Assam, she began trying her hands on regional folk music with musical instruments like dhul (drum), pepa (trumpet) and gogona (mouth harp).  After receiving appreciation for her latest release ‘Ore-Raati’, which was one of Abhishruti’s debut compositions, she is planning to compose a few more songs. She is also working on a project teaming up with singer-composer Joi Barua. She is very optimistic to walk ahead confidently with different projects delivering good content to her audience and listeners.

“Music, dance or any other art form if practiced dedicatedly finds its way. I try to motivate all the promising artists and musicians to be positive in their approach and not falling prey to trolls and negativity which only dilute the mind. Remember, self-belief and focus make the journey worth living,” she added.

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Avatar photo
About Ankita Kakaty

-

Ankita Kakaty is a research scholar at the department of business administration at Gauhati University in Guwahati