Staff Reporter –
A popular Indian singer plans to release his first music track early next year.
Rachit Bhatia, one of the foremost singers of the Indian community whose voice has reverberated the corridors of many a music hall here and abroad, will release ‘Usko Kaise Bataoon’ (How do I tell her that I love her?) in Auckland in the New Year.
A part of the track can be heard for a limited time on his Facebook page.
“The Indian music that we hear in New Zealand is usually produced in Indian studios and exported to the world. It is rare for a small country like New Zealand to make a mark in Indian music. I feel privileged to make an attempt as a proud Kiwi Indian,” Rachit said.
Prolific Singer
A prolific singer, Rachit is known for his deep voice that can easily bring forth the melodies of celebrity singers such as Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh.
In our September 1, 2003 issue, we had, in our India Independence Day Report, included Rachit Bhatia among the list of upcoming singers.
Less than a year later, in our July 1, 2004 issue, our former Reporter Manju Shelke had described Rachit as ‘a darling of the masses, with increasing popularity for his capabilities, which include singing, dancing and acting.”
“He has his head fixed firmly on his shoulders. Which is why, the Form Five Pakuranga College student was cool when reportedly told by music directors in India that he could be a hit in the music industry,” she said.
Rachit was 14 years old then.
According to his parents, he burst into the stage at a wedding and rendered a song.
He was three years old then.
Eventful journey
Recalling his formative years, Rachit said, “I was 12 years old when I visited the offices of Hindi film producer-director-composer Vishal Bharadwaj (whose blockbusters include ‘Kaminey’ and ‘Omkara’) to present my compositions. He encouraged me to commence formal training,” he said.
The journey that began 22 years ago has seen the young man plant several milestones with hundreds of performances to his credit.
He was only 16 years old when he made it to the Top 24 contestants at the New Zealand Idol Season Two. As well as being the youngest, he was the first Indian to enter and register such an achievement at a prestigious national competition.
His credits include a number of feature films, radio jingles, and dance tracks for competitions.
Rachit was honoured with the Best Soundtrack at the Bollywood High School Dance Competition held every year in Auckland in the past.
His repertoire includes Pop, Rock, Sufi, Dance and Classics.
Rachit is also adept at writing songs and composing them.
