Reality Shows Provide Artistes A Platform to Showcase Their Talent

Mamta Solanki is a household in the Indian film industry. Be it her stint in the Hindi movie Loveratri produced by Salman Khan or her appearance in the Gujarati TV serial 'Suri- Lavshe Sapna ni Sawar', Mamta has carved a niche for herself in the industry and much sought after for her talent. A trained singer, Mamta Solanki has sung at over 300 weddings so far.

In an exclusive interview with Sakshi Post, Mamta Solanki gives Avanthika Reddy a peek into her life and career.

1. When you decided to begin your acting journey, what were some of your setback thoughts?      

I never thought of pursuing acting as a career seriously. I randomly gave my pictures to a production house and was selected. I had never done acting before but have faced the camera as a News Anchor. The Producer of the serial showed immense faith in me which encouraged me to act. The serial completed 800 episodes and it was a learning experience for me.  

2. What were some of the major challenges in your acting career?

I have seen a lot of hardships in my career. There were times when I used to get mocked by the directors. The same director who mocked me many years ago, cast me as a leader in his TV serial after seeing my growth in the industry. I accepted the challenge of Acting. As a newcomer in the industry, I had decided that I will show my true potential to the people who used to mock me. By God’s grace and my hard work, those people are praising my good work now!

3. When you got your role in loveratri, how did you feel? 

In the initial days of my career, I had done TV serials. As a lead actress, I did a serial Chutta Chada for Colors Gujarati. Immediately, I gave auditioned for the movie Loveyatri(Salman Khan Productions) and got selected. It is a pleasure for me to bag this dream role as I still consider myself a fresher in the industry. After this a did a Gujarati movie and then did the movie A Thursday from Ronnie Screwvala Productions. I feel honored to have worked with the renowned production houses in a very short career span.

4. Singing for a live audience might be a task. How does it feel to have a record of 300 weddings as a singer?  

I enjoy singing. Though there has been a long break in my singing. I enjoy singing at weddings as it doesn’t feel like I am working instead I feel happy and blessed to be a part of the most important event of someone’s life. Live singing is challenging as there is no chance for any mistake and there is no retake. The audience will remember your performance forever. I enjoy live performances.

5. What's your take on music reality shows.

I am in favour of reality shows. It gives a platform for the people to showcase their talent. I believe that reality shows have their importance in the lives of many singers.

6.  You have invested yourself in starting your own company, what inspired you to be a wedding planner?          

I started my wedding singing career in the year 2010. I started my company Swayam Entertainment(my son’s name). I have done a lot of weddings as a wedding planner but the artist within me always wanted to perform. So, I started doing musical pheras at weddings. Now, I am a renowned name in musical pheras and I like it!

7. What are some of your strong memories of your initial stages of singing?          

I started singing at the age of 12 years. There was a Navratri function organized by Bharat Petroleum where my brothers work. My family encouraged me to sing in that program. The organisers really liked my singing and asked me to perform for three days. I was given Rs. 300 for the performance which is my first salary as a singer.

8. Your upcoming movie is in Guajarati, what is the genre and what could your audience expect from you?

The plot of my upcoming Gujarati movie is very interesting. The movie depicts the beautiful relationship between mother and daughter. It is a family drama. I really hope that the audience will like the movie and our hard work is paid off well.

9. How did you know acting was your calling?         

As I mentioned that I had never planned to pursue a career in acting, it was my destiny that made me an Actress.