‘I’m the original item girl’: Usha Uthup on embracing age, her brassy 'bedroom voice' and how Dhurandhar gave her career a new boost
Dubai: Three minutes. That’s roughly all it took for Usha Uthup to become Usha Uthup. When the legendary Indian singer first logged onto our zoom video call, there had been a small but crucial miscommunication: she had been told it was an audio interview. “I thought this was not a video chat,” she said, slightly startled when I asked if she could switch on her camera. The reason was wonderfully…
Usha Uthup, a legendary Indian singer, became Usha Uthup in just three minutes during an unexpected zoom interview. Despite initially appearing disheveled, she quickly donned a silk sari, statement earrings, a bindi, and a chignon. Uthup, now 57 years old, remains unapologetic about her style, stating that she never changed the way she looked.
Her signature deep, brassy voice is her unique selling point, which she has maintained throughout her career. Uthup embraces ageing, believing that it brings grey hair and wrinkles but she is happy to age boldly and loudly. She performs alongside musicians younger than her and emphasizes that music transcends age, caste, color, creed, gender, and sex.
The song "Rambha Ho," which she sang decades ago, has found a new audience through the show "Dhurandhar," where Uthup expresses gratitude for being alive to share her music with a new generation.
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