Celina Jaitly is back and how! The blue-eyed damsel of B-Town is making her comeback with a debut single where she will croon to a modern version of Uthey Sab Ke Kadam and later this year, the screen seductress announces her entry into Bollywood with No Entry 2. She chats with Sangeeta Yadav about her plans and how she is awaiting lata Mangeshkar’s feedback on her album
She is a diva, philanthropist, a loving wife, adorable mother of twins, a popular model and a Bollywood celeb but Celina Jaitly prefers to call herself the girl-next-door. “This gives me raw appeal,” the sultry actor says.
For an actor who has been missing from the scene for a good two years, it was a challenge to make a comeback with the sequel of No Entry, but Jaitly has always been a fighter. “I had not resigned from Bollywood per se. I was on a sabbatical after the birth of my twins Viraaj and Winston Haag. Now that my sons have grown up a bit and can understand what is happening around them, I feel the time is right for me to make a comeback. I am thrilled to be a part of No Entry2 which goes on the floor this year,” she tells you.
Apart from being a hands-on mother and a celeb who made public appearances, Jaitly has being honing up her singing talent and is looking forward to her debut single — Welcome (which is a remake of lata Mangeshkar’s Uthe Sabke Kadam number. The song is a part of the UN’s Human Rights campaign.
“Welcome features the theme of love, acceptance and mutual respect. It’s the modern version of Uthe Sabke Kadam (from the movie Baaton Baaton Mein) which was an instant hit. The UN chief proposed the idea to use a popular Bollywood track, give it a modern tweak and re-release it to make an impact. My friend Neeraj Shridhar of Bombay Vikings fame re-composed the song,” she tells you.
Jaitly was nominated in 2013 as a United Nations Equality Champion for her support for the UN’s global free and equal campaign.
It was this special cause and a lot of persuasion by Shridhar that influenced Jaitly to sing. “I am from a singers’ background. My paternal aunts have all pursued music and are popular in the music fraternity. I have been trained in classical music ever since I was 10 years old.
“I was not confident about this number and would have shyed away from it had Neeraj not been there. I am glad I took him so seriously and discovered the singer in me,” the 32 year-old says. This video will be released online by the UN human rights office on April 30, 2014.
There is another reason why Jaitly is suffering from sleepless nights — she is nervous to know the feedback from veteran singer lata Mangeshker. “I am not even her pairo ki jooti when it comes to singing. I don’t know how she is going to react to this. I may get a heart attack,” the actor-turned-singer tells you.