City girl Jasleen Royal's musical rendition of late Shiv Kumar Batalvi's poem “Panchi Ho Javan” has helped her win an award by MTV music channel.
At a star-studded video and music awards function held in Mumbai on March 21, the video song emerged the winner in the Best Indie Lyrics
category where it competed with works by Kailash Kher, Rabbi Shergill and Delhi-based band Indus Creed.
“I dedicate the award to my mother who patiently explained me the meaning of the poem by the famous Punjabi poet. The lyrics may be the winner, but I am glad people liked my musical version of it,” said an elated Jasleen over phone.
The 22-year-old musician said that she had not expected the achievement. “I was only considering the song's nomination in the category as one of the biggest moments in my career so far,” said Jasleen.
It's not only the award but also the sheer size and glitz of the event that has left Jasleen excited. “I shared space with some of the biggest names in the entertainment world such as Priyanka Chopra, AR Rehman and international rapper Tpain,” she said.
The poem that this alumnus of Sacred Heart Convent read in school mesmerised her so much that she chose it for her debut album released in Ludhiana in 2012. The song, accompanied by a video shot in Delhi, gained popularity on the net and caught the eye of the music channel.
A Delhi University graduate and capital city resident, Jasleen has performed across India in college fests and stage shows. As a one-member orchestra who can simultaneously work her magic with the mouth organ, guitar, tambourine, keyboard and vocals, Jasleen first made a mark in 2008 at a reality show, “India's Got Talent”, where she had entered the semi-finals.