Apoorva Gajjala, rose to fame as singing sensation after she participated twice consecutively in the Marathi music show Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Offers for stage shows started pouring in large number and her musical career appeared well poised for a takeoff. However, destiny had something else in store for her. While returning from a show at Jalna near Aurangabad, she met with a near fatal car accident. An injury to the brain sent her into coma and she lay in the hospital for nearly 40 days battling for life. Apoorva, however, never gave up and fought all odds with grit and determination. In a tete a tete with ‘Stree’ Apoorva tells about her musical journey. Here are the excerpts of the interview:

Stree: How did you get inclined towards music?
Apoorva: I was born in Hyderabad in a family of music lovers. Music used to be played at home all the time either over the tape recorder or the TV. So there used to be music in the background even as I moved about in the house and played. My parents tell me that suddenly, one fine day, as I was being given a bath by my grandmother, I sang one whole song in Sanskrit. I was then hardly four years old. It was at this point that my parents recognized my aptitude for music and started encouraging me to sing. Very soon I was singing at various functions and local competitions. My career as a singer was thus launched.
Stree: Who introduced you to singing?
Apoorva: As I have stated above, it was my family which recognized my singing talent and looked out for singing opportunities for me right from an early age. Even before I was 7, I participated in a state level competition in the Keertanas of Annamacharya conducted by the T.T.D (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) I was awarded a gold medal for my efforts. Then in the year 1998, I was selected as the youngest singer in the highly popular Telugu music reality show “PaadutaTeeyaga” hosted by the very well known Shri. S.P Balasubramanyam. In an age group upto 14, I was the youngest at 7 years. I reached the semi finals of the show and won appreciation from several stalwarts in music.
Stree: Did you take special training in music? Which other competitions did you participate in?
Apoorva: I was at Pune in 1998 and started getting training in Hindustani Classical Music under Smt. Manik Panditrao. At home I was exposed to songs in several languages including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. I also started performing on the stage at Pune and was a part of Mr. Mohan Joshi’s (the well known Hindi Marathi actor) series of music programmes for the heroes of Kargil. I also got the privilege of performing at the Pune Festival. Shri Suresh Wadkar in one of his concerts in Pune also gave me an opportunity to sing along with him on stage when I was just 10.
We shifted to Mumbai in 2003 and was under the tutelage of the famous playback singer Shri. Suresh Wadkar at his Ajivasan School of Music. Thereafter when I was 14 years of age I participated in the Telugu music reality show Paadalani Undi and reached the finals of the show. I also got an opportunity to participate in the Kannada music reality show “Yede Tumbi Haaduvenu” which I won. This win also gave me an opportunity to sing on stage with the renowned Shri. S.P Balasubramanyam.
Stree: While you were at peak of your career, you met with an unfortunate accident and were unable to sing for a long time. How did you get back to singing?
Apoorva: One day while I was returning back from a show at Jalna near Aurangabad, I met with a near fatal car accident. An injury to the brain sent me into coma and I lay in the hospital for nearly 40 days battling for life. This adversity however seemed to bring out the fighting qualities inside me and I became determined to overcome the odds. My first step in this direction was to brush off the offer for a wheelchair at the time of my discharge from the hospital. I firmly decided to walk up to the car that was to take me home.
Back at home, I was impatient to start the physiotherapy sessions which the doctor had advised me. I took it up on myself to call up the physio and fix up the appointment for immediately starting the treatment. I would spend at least 5-6 hours everyday undergoing physiotherapy at home and also at the Hinduja Hospital. Within a span of three months, I was able to move around on my own and I decided to start attending college. For the first few days, my parents in their anxiety dropped me at college but very soon I started to go to college on my own by even boarding the local train.
Stree: What happened to your singing career?
Apoorva: As for my singing the task was much tougher. My teacher, Smt. Suneela Apte, an elderly lady was kind enough to come over all the way to my house to help me make a return to singing. At the beginning, I was not able to even bring out “the sound of music” despite my best effort. All that I was able to do was exhale air with a sound. But both my teacher and I persevered and I started making gradual progress. With stage shows on the back burner, I now was left with ample time to learn music. My parents put me under Mrs. Maureen Rebello to learn western music as they felt that it would help me in improving my vocal abilities. Of course the training in Hindustani music was also continuing simultaneously under Mrs. Apte. During this period I also completed my post graduation in commerce and also started taking the music exams conducted by the Trinity College London.
Being a south Indian I suddenly developed a keenness to learn Carnatic music as well and I started training in this genre also under my guru Shri. G. Balasubramanyan.
Stree: Today many people want to shut fame by just coming in a reality show and if they fail to get the attention, they get depressed. What is your view in this regard?
Apoorva: Though reality shows help you showcase your talent, it is to be treated as just the beginning of a long and in fact unending musical journey. The depths of music are immeasurable and the more you delve into it the more it becomes clear that what is on the surface is really not that important. My pursuit of the three forms of music have given me an insight into the “REALITY” of what true music is. To be truthful, I do not really miss being on a reality show though I am a more improved singer today than I was before.
Stree: You are a Telugu still you have song many songs in Marathi why?
Apoorva: I came to Maharashtra when I was around 7 years of age. As everyone at home loved music, they were appreciative of the wonderful treasure of music that Marathi has. Further, being in Pune also gave a fillip to this and I used to regularly listen to the wonderful gems of Marathi music. My felicity for languages helped me to pick up the songs and I started enjoying singing them.
Stree: What are your future plans?
Apoorva: I am training in the Hindustani, Carnatic and Western forms of music. I have also started imparting training in music. I find that teaching music is also quite an enriching experience. I also want to blend and create something that is unique and individualistic. More than anything I want to explore music and enjoy the journey.