From railway platform singer to a star bollywood singer – Ranu Mandal

Nobody really knows what’s in store for them.

Destiny is truly unpredictable. If luck favor’s someone, then it can be a rag to riches story within a short span of time.

One can become a millionaire even in a single night. This may happen once in a while and not always, but in the case of the poor Ranu Mandal, this did happen. Once singing on the distant railway platforms of West Bengal, Ranaghat to be exact, to earn a living singing as a pauper, 59 years Ranu Mandal today is a singing sensation in Bollywood with incessant demands for live shows from various parts of the country.

Sounds unusual and unbelievable, but this is true. Once she was a lady in tatters who was left alone in depression even by own her daughter. Now the entire Mumbai film industry is her fan as her melodious voice has not only impressed, enthralled and mesmerized millions of people in India but also the many music directors, who are keen to offer her a chance to sing in their albums and Bollywood movies. Her daughter too, is back with her after she has become famous.

Ranu Mandal with her daughter

It’s indeed a rag to riches story, an unexpected dream come true for the poorest of the poor Ranu Mandal who till a few months ago used to sing casually in one of the railway platforms of West Bengal. She mostly hymned the hit song of the legendary star and filmmaker Manoj Kumar, from the movie SHOR “Ye Pyar Ka Nagma Hai, Maujon Ki Rawaani Hai, Zindagi Aur Kuch Bhi Nahi, Teri Meri Kahani Hai”, just to make ends meet. She normally survived on a meal or two or a biscuit packet.

One day a passerby, namely Atindra Chakravarty noticed her melodious voice and by chance recorded her song on mobile and shared it on Facebook which went on to become viral. It was no looking back for Ranu Mandal thereafter who’d never in her wildest dreams, dreamt of gaining so much popularity in social media. A die-hard fan of the singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, Ranu’s video became so widely viral that crores of people saw and heard her melodious voice on social networking sites. She became a star just in a few nights. Fortunately, the television channels too started airing her video and she was invited in a reality show in Mumbai as a guest singer. Her real-life story was also telecast on news television channels.

She sang a song on the request of the popular Bollywood singer and musician Himesh Reshammiya in a Mumbai studio after she was offered the chance by the latter in one of the popular singing reality shows on Indian television. Himesh Reshammiya was so impressed by her sound quality and melodious voice that he invited her to the recording studio and recorded a song for his film, the brief promo of which has also been posted on Facebook. “Today, I met Ranuji and I feel that she is blessed with divinity. Her singing was mesmerizing and I could not stop myself from offering her the best I could.” – Himesh Reshammiya. He has offered her a singing contract for the upcoming movie, ‘Happy Hardy and Heer’.

Ranu Mandal with Himesh Reshammiya

In a singing reality show, Ranu Mandol in tears explained how she used to sing on the railway platform for hours together to get a few coins, biscuit packets, and food. She never expected such a miracle in her terribly broken life. Today, her relatives who never even cared for her during her days as a pauper, are coming to greet her and even her daughter who’d left her ten years ago while Ranu was in depression, all of a sudden returned to her star mother. Ranu, however, has no qualms with her past life. Her story is a classic example of the saying: ‘Bhagwan Ke Ghar Dher Hai, Andher Nahi’.

Ranu Mandal and Salman Khan

There are rumors that superstar  Salman Khan is also a fan of her now after hearing her melodious voice and is also intending to record a song in her sweet voice for one of his forthcoming films and it is rumored that he has also gifted her a house in Mumbai.

“This is my second life. And I will try to make the most out of it,” Ranu Mandal says.