I have been paid only Rs 7580/= for the hit milestone Bhojpuri album - “Gawanwa Leja Rajaji”.

                Stuck in Mumbai traffic in a rainy afternoon, these three hit musical trio of Bhojpuri music industry, singer Kalpana, lyricist Vinay Bihari and music director Rajesh Gupta, in a candid meeting in Café de in Oshiwara for a project discussion. She exudes unusual energy as they start talking about memories of their hit album Gawanwa Leja Rajaji. Way back in 2003, during a recording session in Mumbai, music director Rajesh Gupta and lyricist Vinay Bihari made a point that newcomer Kalpana despite being a talented singer was always asked to sing only 2/3 songs in Chaila Bihari’s albums who was a hit Bhojpuri singer and there was a craze for Bhojpuri albums in the Bhojpuri dominated regions at that time. Both discussed that they should make a solo album on Kalpana. They made a file which has to be signed and passed by the head honcho of T- series Bhushan Kumar. When lyricist Vinay Bihari presented the file before Bhushan Kumar, he got angry and threw the file asking Vinay Bihari why he had not taken permission from him and why a solo album of Kalpana has to be made. This made the lyricist furious and he said that no one has the right to abuse him and he should not take permission from any one. He took the file and vowed before Bhushan Kumar that he will release this album from Venus cassettes which was the only music label active at that time and he will never return to T-series. At this Bhushan Kumar said sorry and asked the accounts department to go about with the album. The rest is HISTORY….

                 

                  Kalpana(Laughs) - I was paid only Rs 7580/= for 8 songs after deducting 5.25%  TDS on Rs 8000/= for the iconic songs I had sung for the hit album “Gawanwa Leja Rajaji” in the year 2003. This album was the turning point of Bhojpuri music Industry and took Bhojpuri music from regional to international market. The concept of the album was about a newly wedded couple in an urban joint family. As Kalpana remembers – At 25 years, for the first time through these songs I enjoyed my feminism. Songs were youthful, sensuous yet not open. It was just like expressing love through one’s eyes, not with words. I thoroughly enjoyed it in front of the microphone. I lived that time frame.