Exclusive! I would like to come to Mumbai after my board exams to study music further and even make a career here, says winner of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Neelanjana Ray

Nineteen- year- old singer Neelanjana Ray lifted the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa: Music Ka Tyohaar trophy on Sunday by winning the hearts of the audience. In an exclusive chat with us, she speaks about her musical journey, managing her studies along with music and her wish to return to Mumbai soon to pursue her dream. Excerpts-

Coming from a small town, Alipurduar, in West Bengal, Neelanjana started training to be a singer when she was just four years old. She says, "Even before I was born, my parents had this wish that their child grows up to be a singer, because even though they are not professional singers, they both love music like passionate musicans. My grandfather used to play the tabla as a hobby, so there was a little bit of musical influence on the family. After I was born, my dad saw that I had the skill in me. Hence, when I was four, he made sure that my training began. Today, music is the one thing that matters the most to me in life."

Sharing her excitement on winning Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, she says, "I am extremely happy to be lifting this trophy. But for me, the main goal was to win the hearts of the audience and garner their love. After receiving so much love from people, winning the trophy is like a bonus for me."

Talking about her parents' reaction to her win, she says, "They are the happiest right now and their happiness means the most to me. Every parent wishes the best for their child and my parents always had this dream that I would win Sa Re Ga Ma Pa one day."

During the show, Neelanjana was called the next Shreya Ghoshal. Mention that to her and she says, "I do feel overwhelmed that people compared me to such a talented singer. She has been an inspiration to me. But I really wish that people know me as Neelanjana Ray instead of the next Shreya Ghoshal. I want to be known for my own voice."

Talking about her journey so far, Neelanjana says, "Every person faces some or the other difficulty in life. But I feel lucky that I haven't faced anything major in my life yet. Learning music isn't easy and then singing in a reality show like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa among such good singers is also tough. But I have had an interesting journey."

Neelanjana is currently in Class XII and she will be appearing for her board exams next month. So how did she manage to prepare for her boards while doing a reality show? She says, "Whenever I got some time on the sets or some time off from my singing practice, I would study. Sometimes singing all day can get monotonous and my studies would help me break that. There is still a month for my exams and I will now concentrate totally on my studies after going back home. The amount of hardwork I put in singing, I will put the same in my studies," she says.

Managing her studies and music training has been quite a challenge, she says. "Balancing the two is not easy, but I am very focused and I know what I want in life. So I keep working on it diligently. I feel that if one is determined and wants to achieve something in life, then nothing is difficult for them," she adds.

She does plan to return to Mumbai post her exams. She shares, "After my board exams, I would like to come to Mumbai to study music further and even make a career here because the entire music industry is in Mumbai. I feel this city can fullfill my dreams of becoming a singer and I wish to come back here soon to study and pursue singing."