From debuting as a band member of Aasma (its members were the winners of the reality show Popstars) to crooning Bollywood chartbusters like Sau Aasmaan (Baar Baar Dekho), Meri Jaan (Gangubai Kathiawadi) and Nainowale (Padmaavat) and collaborating with globally reputed artistes, Neeti Mohan has come a long way in her nearly two-decade-long career. One of the artistes she has had a long association with is A R Rahman.

Talking about the composer, she says, “I’ve been performing with A R Rahman sir for 15 years and it is always such a beautiful experience. I really look up to him as an artiste and a human being. In fact, after Jiya Re from Jab Tak Hai Jaan released, I had applied to go to a music school and study abroad. But when it became a hit, I was in two minds about whether to go or explore playback singing. When I reached out to him, he told me, ‘You have a hit song now, you are going to get more, stay here.’”

Aryaveer, Neeti’s one-year-old son, keeps her busy when she’s not working. “Motherhood is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me,” she says. When recordings were halted due to Coronavirus, the new mother had shifted to her home studio for a while for recordings and now, she feels it offers her flexibility and “has worked out well.”

Talking about striking a work-life balance, she adds, “When I am travelling for work, I focus just on that and at home, I give all my attention to my son. I am lucky because my mother-in-law helps a lot whenever I am not at home.”

Neeti says it was a great experience to collaborate with her sisters Shakti and Mukti for the single Naari. She shares, “We’re the best working partners. Also, the way they look after my child is a blessing. ”

Talking about how the band Aasma, which recently completed 19 years, shaped her as a musician, Neeti says, “If Aasma had not happened, I wouldn’t have moved to Mumbai. I am really grateful for the experiences I acquired through the band. I never knew Western music but through the members, I learned a lot about it, which helped later in my career.”

Does she think the band would have enjoyed the same success today? She says, “Being part of a band is a difficult thing because every artiste has a different persona. That is the reason many artistes go solo. But I believe Aasma came to me at the right time because currently, it is more about solo artistes than bands in India.”