Paroma dedicates her song 'Mann Ke' to students

There are a lot of motivational quotes being passed around to students as they are busy with their board examinations. But playback singer and songwriter Paroma Dasgupta decided to add a spin on it and make a song called 'Mann Ke' for the stressed-out students.

She says, "The idea behind writing the song was breaking free in love. But it's not restricted to a romantic angle between a man and a woman and how it can also mean something that we love, like our passion and dreams."

Her thought behind the song was to give the students assurance that exams aren't everything you have to pass in life. "We've been seeing students being so pressurised due to exams and end up taking their lives too. Through my song, I want to reach out to them and tell them that there's so much more to life than just exams and results. Your dreams are much more important and that your life is precious. Don't give into societal pressure, break free and chase your dreams."

Recalling the time of her own board exams Paroma says, "I was always an average student. I remember our English papers being so lengthy with essays and summaries. We had very little time to complete it. But no matter how long the paper was, I used to keep rocking my chair and continue writing."

"But the result days were extremely nerve-wracking and I remember having these long emotional chats with God telling him how sorry I was for not studying and promising to work hard next time," she adds.

And with life experience, she advises students to not just study to pass but also to gain knowledge and understanding.

Well, it's not the first time Paroma has written such bold content. "I am a Bengali girl and I've always been independent and opinionated. I like critiquing things before I accept them. And thanks to my parents and teachers, I've always had the courage to find my own voice," she explains.

The 'Kaara Fankara' is also keeping herself busy with upcoming projects in Telugu. " I love singing in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. I'm working on a very interesting Telugu movie project with Puri Jagannadh and Sandeep Chowta."

She also takes up smaller projects like singing jingles. "It has helped me grow as a singer. You have to sing different genres and play different characters."

There is nothing holding her back to achieve more in the coming years. "I want to start directing my own music videos. I don't want to be a part of any rat race, but I am looking forward to collaborating with various artists. Travelling the world and experiencing different cultures is on my to-do
list too."

And when she's not busy saving the world with her songs, she tends to her pets at home. " I have Lucky Singh, an Indian breed who was rescued from the streets of Mumbai. She is the queen of our house! We also had Zina, the German Shepherd who passed away a few years ago."

In order to make the world a better place, she is trying to turn vegan. She says, "I wish I could turn vegan and that's definitely something that I need to work on." But till then, she advises everyone to "stay hit, stay healthy, love your work and be kind to animals. And always remember that it is your journey, so live it and love it."