Singer Purva Mantri’s recent garba track for Navratri, Aavati Kalay, has captured the attention of none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a surprising twist, the Prime Minister himself penned the lyrics for the song. Mantri described the opportunity to perform the PM’s words as an “honour” and expressed disbelief at receiving personal praise from Modi on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Reflecting on the moment, Mantri shares her overwhelming emotions. “I can’t even express in words what it means as an artiste to get praised by the Prime Minister. On Monday morning, my phone wouldn’t stop ringing. I was curious about what had happened, and the first message I received was from my father. He forwarded the PM’s tweet, and I was just shell-shocked to see he had mentioned me by name,” she says.
It is the auspicious time of Navratri and people are celebrating in different ways, united by their devotion to Maa Durga. In this spirit of reverence and joy, here is #AavatiKalay, a Garba I wrote as a tribute to Her power and grace. May Her blessings always remain upon us. pic.twitter.com/IcMydoXWoR
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2024
For the singer and her family, the recognition feels like a monumental achievement. “For me and my family, it’s nothing less than a lifetime achievement award. I can’t stop dreaming as an artiste, but this is the biggest achievement for me so far,” Mantri adds.
The singer also expressed her desire to personally thank the Prime Minister. “As a singer who has sung his song, I want to meet the PM and say thank you to him in person. When my father called, he was so emotional. I’ve always seen him as a strong figure, but in that moment, he was just crying and thanking the supreme power,” she recalls.
I thank Purva Mantri, a talented upcoming singer, for singing this Garba and presenting such a melodious rendition of it. #AavatiKalay
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2024
Mantri also shared the whirlwind experience of recording and filming the song’s music video in just 24 hours. “I got a call on Saturday evening that I needed to record my vocals by early Sunday morning. We finished by 9 AM, and within an hour, I was already on location for the music video shoot,” she reveals.
Despite her excitement, Mantri admits she was unaware of Modi’s involvement until the dubbing process. “I found out while dubbing that the PM had written the lyrics. It was such an emotional moment for me, especially because Mataji Na Dakhla is a powerful garba. The PM’s words only amplified its energy. I knew I had to do justice to the track, and I gave it my all,” she concludes.
