Arjun Reddy "Gundelona" Fame Soujanya Bhagavatula Talks About Balancing Career And Motherhood

Soujanya Bhagavatula, who is known for singing "Gundelona" from Arjun Reddy, is a playback singer in the Telugu cinema industry. The mom of a 1.5-year-old who discovered her love for music at the age of five is an engineer by profession. Due to family commitments, she took a break from singing after "Gundelona." Last year, she got the opportunity to sing "Kadile Kadile" from Sakini Dakini.

Bhagavatula, who is currently one of the top 12 contestants in the Aha Telugu Indian Idol Season 2, speaks to SheThePeople about her career, motherhood, and work-life balance.

Soujanya Bhagavatula Interview

"My family has always been passionate about music. My grandfather was a theatre artist and a poet. So, he taught me to sing at the age of five. My family recognised my talent and enrolled me in a Carnatic music class at the age of seven. I was introduced to movie songs through a reality show hosted by the late SP Balasubramaniam. That's how I began singing movie songs in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi," said Bhagavatula.

While working in the IT industry, Bhagavatula used to sing for short films, advertisements, and background scores during the weekends. That’s how the opportunity of singing in Arjun Reddy landed for her. "Initially I was only supposed to sing the trial version of the song, but the director was impressed with my voice, and that’s how I got the opportunity to sing "Gundelona" in Arjun Reddy," she said.

Bhagavatalu got married a month after Arjun Reddy’s release in 2017. She had to move to Pune along with her husband and was working in the IT industry. After she had her daughter, she took a break from work, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Gundelona gave me a place in the industry, but I’ve always felt that I didn’t fully utilise the doors that Arjun Reddy had opened for me. It had been about five years, and people had forgotten me. So, after I moved back to Vizag and took a break from the IT industry, I decided to pursue my passion for music again. After reading Ikigai, I realised that my Ikigai is music and not working in the IT industry. Though I can do that too, it doesn’t satisfy my soul. So, I was looking for the right moment and opportunity to get back to singing, and that’s when Aha Telugu Indian Idol happened."

Motivated to pursue music again, Bhagavatula auditioned for the first season of Aha Telugu Indian Idol and was selected. However, she had to let go of that opportunity because her daughter was only four months old. So, when the show opened auditions for the second season, she immediately participated and got selected for the auditions.

Bhagavatalu stressed how much family support is needed for young mothers who wish to get back to their careers. "I’m very thankful to my parents and in-laws as I am able to pursue my passion only because they take care of my daughter," she said.

"The biggest challenge was the thought of competing with youngsters who have been practising continuously. I was very worried that since I'd lost touch and didn’t get enough time to practise. I felt I would be lagging behind, but when I got selected again in the audition, I decided that I was definitely going to work hard and give my best." Bhagavatula's daughter accompanied her on the first day of the show. "Mihira coming up on stage and giving me a good luck kiss is a moment that I'll always cherish."

Bhagavatula said that the best part about participating in the show is that she gets to learn a lot of new things on stage. "For instance, music director Koteswara Rao challenged me to sing a new composition on the spot. It was extremely challenging, but I’m so happy that I did it well, and the judges appreciated my performance. The rap session with Baba Sehgal ji (an Indian rapper) was an exciting and amazing experience."

"Travelling between Hyderabad and Vizag and meeting my daughter once a week is quite difficult, and I have that ">mom guilt. Sometimes I wonder if she’s getting distant from me because she seems content with her grandparents. Then I tell myself that sometimes we have to make certain sacrifices for our careers. I believe that I’m setting a good example for her by showing that women should pursue their dreams no matter what and that she’ll be proud of me once she grows up," said Bhagavatula while sharing about how she juggles work and motherhood.

"As women, there are always going to be other responsibilities in our lives, both professional and personal. So, the decision to pursue this can be challenging and requires a lot of determination. But no matter what, always listen to what your heart says. Following your passion will motivate you to get out of bed in the morning and will provide you with the satisfaction of sleeping peacefully every night. So, don’t ever let marriage or motherhood hold you back from chasing your dreams," said Bhagavatula in a concluding message.

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