Between IPC and C Minor: How this Mumbai criminal lawyer is pursuing her childhood dream of singing

Among the highest viewed reprises of Phero na najariya the haunting track from Anvitaa Duttrsquos film Qala is a rendition by a Mumbai singer which has garnered over 113 lakh views For all the praise itrsquos collecting not everyone knows enough about Sneha SinghThe criminal defence lawyer released her first original single Lihaaz last June The video was the result of months of prep starting in the COVIDinduced countrywide lockdown By then Singh 35 had a successful practice at the Bombay High Court representing clients pro bono and even holding lectures for law enforcement agencies on cybercrime investigationldquoThe lockdown forced me to take a step back Before that Irsquod work through the night neglecting my meals and catching barely any sleep Confined at home I suddenly had time to myself and out of nowhere I remembered the things I had promised myself I would do That lsquoone dayrsquo had never camerdquo Singh tells us when we meet her at her Versova residence At the top of this list was singing Singh grew up in Dhanbad Jharkhandrsquos coal capital where she schooled and signed up for a music class at age nine ldquoThe road that led to the singing class was always lined by rowdy men whorsquod pass lewd comments It got to a point where when I was 11 I told my parents I did not want to learn singing They were stunned But I had had enoughrdquoShe moved to Mumbai to pursue law a dream her grandfather whom she calls a progressive zamindar had harboured Singh was six months old when he died The stories of his wish were powerful enough to have her land here for a law course at Navi Mumbairsquos DY Patil College A Bachelor of Legal Science amp Bachelor of Legislative Law BLS LLB was followed by a Masterrsquos degree from Cardiff University Soon she was assisting Mehmood Pracha and Rizwan Merchant This was before she set up an independent law practiceldquoI had never really stopped singing But during the lockdown I reached out to friends in the entertainment industry and shared my dream One thing led to another and soon I had registered a production house in my name pouring all my savings into itrdquo Singh shares It was a risk that she knew she had to takeldquoWhen we were at school my moral science teacher had handed us a hypothetical exercise asking us to list all the things wersquod invest in if we were suddenly given a large sum of money Cars fancy houses and gadgets made it to everyonersquos list I said lsquoSushmita Senrsquo At the time she was every Indian girlrsquos inspiration all I wanted to do was to be like her even if it meant investing money into being like herrdquoAfter producing three short films one of which stars her as actor Singh finally got through to Bollywood lyricist Kumaar who is credited for the songs in Airlift War and Kabir Singh ldquoI told him that I was wanted to make a song about a woman who had been cheated on but she doesnrsquot wish ill for her partner She doesnrsquot seek vengeance she wishes that he realise his mistakerdquo Kumaar came back with a song in Punjabi ldquoHe chose the language and after reading the lines I didnrsquot want it any other wayrdquo Singh gushes breaking into a few lines of the number released by Zee Music ldquoSenior lawyers would stop me in court to tell me that they were proud that I hadnrsquot given up on my dream When I began getting requests to reprise popular numbers I tried Phero na najariya I left Bandra Court one afternoon called up a friend who has a studio in Andheri and we set it up in an hour I read the lyrics on my phone and thatrsquos how we recorded itrdquo she says of the song that was inspired by the Amit Trivedicomposed original sung by Sireesha BhagavatulaSingh who is already working on her next single says that a white board in her living room carries that list of promises she made to herself ldquoI aim to cross out every item as soon as possible But singing will be the eternal loverdquo