Ranu Mondal – The biggest internet singing sensation of India in 2019

Ranu Mondal is the latest internet singing sensation in India. Her story is a perfect example of rages to riches of present times. In her late 50s, Ranu was homeless and singing in the railway platform of Rana Ghat to earn a living, when a single video recorded by a railway passenger named Atin Dhruva changed her life forever. Her version of “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai” from movie Shor, originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar took internet to storm in 2019, and within a flash of moments she turned a celebrity and overnight sensation. Same year she recorded her first film song with Himesh Reshammiya, when she crooned two songs for the movie, Happy Hardy Aur Heer. The title track, ‘Teri Meri’ which she recorded with the composer too went viral over net. She has been flooded with music offers from Bollywood now.

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Ranu Mondal – Rages to riches story

Ranu Mondal was born in Krishnanagar in West Bengal’s Nadia district into a Christian family. Though she belonged to a family of well-being, life was not so pleasing to her later. Since the age of 5-6 she got drawn towards the world of music. Yet it took long years to sing with orchestra. She is a great fan of Lata Mangeshkar’s voice and loves to sing her songs on any platform. She has worked as a club singer and also a maid during her younger days. She also got separated from her parents and led a miserable life. She lost her mother at a young age and lived with her aunt. After the unexpected demise of her first husband at a young age, she struggled a little bit. She later married a single father. They are separated now. He lives in Mumbai now, where his children from first marriage are settled.

Estranged from kids and family in her late 50s and being homeless, she spent nights at the railway platform of Rana Ghat. She used to sing for a living and fed on biscuits and food, and also money given by passengers. Her daughter later stated that she has been living in a bad mental status, and that she was not aware that her mother was begging in railway station for food and other needs.

The song “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai” made her famous

A screenshot of the viral video which made her singing sensation

When Atin Dhruva along with his two friends asked her to sing a song for them, she never knew that the song will be uploaded in social media or it would give her big fortune. She sang the song as usual for mobile recording. Her song, “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai” was very much related to her life and all the miseries she faced in her entire life. Her sad version sung deep from heart was enough to touch millions of hearts, who made her an internet sensation. Thus at the age of 58, luck finally knocked her doors.

Her estranged daughter Elizabeth Sathi Roy (from her first husband), a single mother met her after many years. Thanks to overnight success. Her daughter too has been living in a bad financial condition raising two kids, after being divorced, and for the same reason she couldn’t look after her mother. She runs a grocery store. Ranu’s kids have been blamed by social media for not looking after her. Ranu also has son from first marriage, two children from second marriage and step-children, who are estranged from her.

Ranu Mondal with her daughter

She has been a subject of trolls and online abuses too, like any celebrity

Though social media made her a huge star, it also trolled her for various reasons. For her responses, social media users were equally divided. She faced wrath from fans, when she behaved harsh to a fan who touched her and asked for an autograph. Her photo with makeup for a function was photoshopped and uploaded in social sites, which once again made her a victim of trolls. When she forgot the lyrics of her recorded song for a TV show, she was trolled once again. She was even humiliated to respond in English. Needless to say she became a victim of butt of jokes through social media.

Ranu Mondal – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. Her maiden name is Ranu Roy. Her husband’s surname is Mondal. His name is Bablu. That’s how she became Ranu Mondal. Her father used to call her ‘Renu’.

2. Ranu and her husband Bablu have worked in the home of Feroz Khan, when his son Fardeen Khan was a college going boy. She says that the family treated her well.

3. She is also nicknamed as ‘Poorman’s Lata Mangeshkar’. As she became famous through a song sung by the singing legend, Ranu’s singing style and songs have been compared with her. She mostly chooses Lata songs for singing platforms.

4. She was married twice. Though her second husband is alive, she lived in extreme bad conditions for a long time, before she became a celebrity.

5. During her younger days, she has sung in a club. She used the stage name – Ranu Bobby those days.

6. She is not formerly trained in classical music.

7. Her daughter Elizabeth Sathi Roy was criticised for abandoning her mother. Roy told media that she was not aware that her mother used to sing at railway station, and she had not visited her for a long time. Yet she used to give her little financial help possible by her. When mother and daughter met after years, Ranu didn’t go with her daughter.

8. She recorded 36 China Town hit song ‘Aashiqui Mein Teri’ recreation, composed by Himesh Reshammiya.

9. There were reports that she initially said no to offered money for her debut Bollywood songs with Himesh Reshammiya. But the composer insisted her to take money. If reports are to be believed she got around 6-7 lakhs for recording those two songs.

10. During her struggling days she came to Mumbai from Bengal in search of job. After 10 years of struggle she returned.

Author’s note: I was hugely moved by her version of “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai”, which well-reflected her life and bitter experiences. It was indeed pleasing to see others appreciating her for her talent. But when she was trolled for silly mistakes I felt hurt. What I can’t understand is, she is only an ordinary person, just like you and me, who was far away from the magical world of showbiz.  She is only a newbie to the industry, and all those events happened just unexpectedly. Then why are we people comparing her with other biggies of Bollywood industry and big celebrities, and mercilessly trolling her for silly things? Why can’t we give her enough time to understand about the entertainment industry which she now belongs to? Also is it necessary that she should also behave the same way as other celebrities?

What is it wrong if she asks someone not to touch her without her permission? If she is Ranu Mondal who lived an ordinary living till now, can we behave anyway we feel? Is it right? What is wrong if she uses expensive jewellery and heavy makeup, just thinking that she is not young or has fair complex? Don’t we forget even silly things if we are stressed or while facing a public, exam or interview, or we just had a sleepless night? Then why should we blame her only, for forgetting the song lyrics on a public platform?

Why do we frequently forget she has never been a part of the film industry before, and that her life miseries have given deep mental stress, tortures and ailments to her, and she is slowly recovering from all? Why do we forget, she also needs personal space? Why do we forget, everything which she got today was given to her by we people, she never grabbed it from anyone forcefully, and it is the same ‘we people’ who inducted her to the magic world and gave her a celebrity status? Why do we expect too much from her?

I am concluding here; just one word to say. If we keep criticizing her for silly things, we will lose such a wonderful artist. So it is my personal request to treat her as a normal human being. Let she also enjoy some good days of her life, leaving behind all bad dreams and bitter experiences.