Remembering Sharda Sinha: 'Begum Akhtar Of Mithila' Trampled Patriarchy, Became Inspiration To Many

Sharda Sinha aka Bihar Kokila has bid adieu to the world during Chhath Puja. Sinha's soulful tracks and bhajans were synonymous with the festival and her passing during this time was even more heartbreaking for her fans and followers around the world. Sinha was a pioneer in folk music and her songs traveled beyond her home state Bihar. People often recounted how her festive songs left them teary-eyed. Her demise is a huge loss to the music industry. Sinha, a trained classical singer who blended the folk in her many songs, was often called the Begum Akhtar of Mithila.

Sinha studied literature at Patna University in the 1970s when she was encouraged by friends and well-wishers to hone her passion for singing. She went on to obtain a doctorate in music from the Lalit Narayan Mithila University at Darbhanga while making her mark as a folk singer, getting noticed by big names in the film industry.

Sharda Sinha's early career: A battle against odds  

Sharda Sinha was inclined towards performing arts since a very tender age. She learned Manipuri dance in school. Her father was a pivotal figure in shaping her career early on. "Agar mere pita nahi hote toh main aage nahi badh sakti thi," Sinha shared in an interview.

She recalled how her first stage performance was during Durga Puja where her father accompanied her. "A lot of protests happened. Villagers were opposed to me singing on stage. But I sang in between scene changes and people noticed me," Sinha said. She credited her success to her father Sukhdev Thakur later on in several interviews.

After her marriage, she encountered several roadblocks within her family. Sinha shared that in-laws were against her singing. "My mother-in-law did not eat food for 3-4 days in protest," she shared in an interview. However, Sinha stood her ground and sang bhajan with a troupe. "When people outside told her that I was good, she accepted me. Maine aangan see lok geeton ko bahar nikala. Main janti nahi thi ki main kya kar rahi this par maine yehi kiya," she she shared about her musical journey. Her husband Brajkishore Sinha supported her after her marriage. After his death earlier this year, Sinha's battle with cancer turned even more difficult, her son Anshuman shared.

Sharda Sinha: Going global

Chhath Puja celebrations were incomplete without Sharda Sinha's songs. However, she took a hiatus from music and worked as a professor. For ten years she did not release any song due to her commitments to her other profession. However, her passion kept pulling her and fans wanted her to return to music. The folk singer took a break from 2006 to 2016 from producing albums.

However, her return to music was celebrated with fervour. Sinha shared that when she performed shows abroad in countries like Germany and elsewhere, people's love for her Chhath and other festive songs made her emotional. Sinha made sure to release songs before Chhath each year, a tradition she kept up with even while battling multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, since 2017.

She did so this year too, notwithstanding her ill health. Dukhwa Mitayin Chhathi Maiya, a prayer song perhaps reflecting her state of mind as she battled cancer, was released on her official YouTube channel just a day ago. For her contribution to folk music. Sinha was awarded Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Bhushan in 2018.