Book Review: The Queen of Indian Pop – an admiration for Usha Uthup
Mumbai: The biography of Usha Uthup was published on February 28, 2022. Readers get a peek into the life an Indian pop royalty in Srishti Jha’s newly released English translation of her father Vikas Kumar Jha’s Hindi biography of Ullas ki Naav.
Jha’s presentation of Usha Uthup’s life narrative in a book, lightly translated as a boat of pleasure, pivots every challenge to her contagious optimism.
The Queen of Indian Pop: The Authorised Biography of Usha Uthup, published by Penguin Random House India, explores Usha’s early life in Mumbai, with an emphasis on her immediate and extended family who played a significant role in shaping her.
The book shifts to Chennai, where she was discovered performing with jazz bands at fancy venues, followed by Kolkata, where Uthup discovered love in many forms She faced several challenges that threatened to derail her plans.
Uthup’s voice was distinctive in a world full of sweet yet high pitched singers including Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, and Alka Yagnik. She wrapped her individuality in Kanjeevaram silk with a bold bindi and jasmine strings. She affirmed many voices in her drive to remain authentic.
Jha revealed how Uthup found musical inspirations from listening to Bach and Mozart in Kripakar Mama’s house to getting her first Jose Feliciano record and recognising Shankar-jazz Jaikishan.
While the author’s affection for Uthup is admirable, Jha shifted from being a presenter to being opinionated, and seemed compelled to justify Uthup’s life and decisions. Aside from the factual flaws, the language is poetic yet repetitive.
The book, the Queen of Indian Pop is worth reading. Her voice and on-stage attitude have been admired. Jha allowed readers to see her as a human encompassing different shades of emotions and a complex personality. She was an honest woman who lived life on her terms.
(Sunidhi Bhatt)
