Prateeksha: Bombay is not a forgiving city, it takes a lot from you before it gives back

From a child contestant on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs to an indie artist writing her own music, Prateeksha Srivastava’s journey has been as challenging as it is inspiring. Moving from her hometown to Mumbai after graduation was a turning point. “The transition was mentally very exhausting. Bombay is not a forgiving city—it takes a lot from you before it gives back. I had no blueprint and had to navigate everything on my own,” she recalls. Support from her parents, especially her mother, kept her grounded.Training, she admits, was never enough. Initially focused on playback singing, the pandemic and post-lockdown lull forced her to rethink her path. “I had almost no work for two years. Waiting wasn’t enough, I had to start creating my own music. That struggle to find my own identity is now finally taking shape.”Her breakthrough track Aankh (featuring Sunidhi Chauhan and Rusha and Blizza, starring Sanya Malhotra, with music by Aman Khare and Paurush Kumar) reflects that evolution, blending personal experiences with stories of friends and cinematic inspiration. “It’s important to talk about the dark side of love, how pain transforms someone, changes their core. That’s why I went all out,” she says.Navigating a male-dominated industry hasn’t been easy. Pushback, self-doubt, and structural barriers are constants, she says, but learning to navigate and disrupt them is part of the process. “I’m paving the way for other women, making it a little easier for those who come after me.”Prateeksha’s journey is one of persistence, self-discovery, and fearless honesty, qualities that define not just her music, but her voice as an artist.