Renowned playback singer Rekha Bhardwaj recently opened up about her breakthrough track Namak from Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara (2006), and how the song helped her rediscover a side of herself that she thought she had lost. In a chat with News18, Rekha shared how her career had stalled before the iconic number came her way — and how the sultry track ended up becoming a turning point.

“It took me very long to rediscover that mischievous, naughty side of me through song,” Rekha admitted, looking back on the period before Namak. “I had lost all confidence when I was first asked to sing it. But Vishal believed in me. He played back a casual recording of me singing it one night and said, ‘Only you can sing this.’ That gave me the push I needed. Until that point, I wasn’t getting much work. That song made me realise my potential.”

Rekha Bhardwaj on Item Numbers and Dignity

Addressing the long-standing debate around item numbers, Rekha offered a measured and thoughtful take. She stressed that it’s not the genre but the treatment of the song that matters. “I have no qualms about singing an item song; it doesn’t imply that I become cheap or anything of the sort,” she said.

Referring to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar’s sensuous but graceful track Aa Jaane Jaan, Rekha argued that “a song can be sensuous and still be dignified.” She added, “If it is not aesthetic, I would not like to sing a track. But otherwise, any form is good to me. Item songs are part of our cultural expression too. It’s not about the form—it’s about how it’s executed. Look at Lataji’s Aa Jaane Jaan—those kinds of songs had grace, not vulgarity.”

Her Expansive Discography

Over the years, Rekha Bhardwaj has delivered a string of memorable songs across genres. Some of her most loved tracks include Laadki, Genda Phool, Yeh Ishq Hai, Pehli Baar Mohabbat, Hamari Atariya Pe, Kabira, Oye Boy Charlie, Teri Fariyad, Dum Ghutta Hai, Mileya Mileya, Mat Aana, and Mora Jiya Lagge Na, among many others.