While the Indian music industry boasts numerous women playback singers, the realm of music composers has seen fewer female artists. In 2009, a talented 18-year-old with a keyboard, mouth organ, guitar, and tambourine captivated television audiences, making it to the semi-finals of the reality show India’s Got Talent. Today, Jasleen Royal from Ludhiana is renowned for consecutive hits like “Nachde ne saare” (Baar Baar Dekho), “Love you zindagi” (Dear Zindagi), and “Din shagna da” (Phillauri). What sets Royal apart is not just her vocals but also her role as the composer behind many of these hits. The latest additions to her Bollywood repertoire include “Teri dastaan” from Yash Raj Films’ Hichki and “Laaj sharam” from Veere Di Wedding.

In a recent interview, Jasleen Royal shared her journey:

**Origin in Indie Music:**

Commencing with indie music, her debut track “Panchi ho jaavaan” became a hit, earning her an MTV award. Despite her flourishing Bollywood assignments, Royal values her independent compositions, emphasizing that she continues to compose whenever time permits. She emphasizes the importance of never ceasing creativity and staying true to one’s passions.

**Women in Music Composition:**

Reflecting on the scarcity of women music composers in India, Royal attributes it to the lack of role models in the field. She believes that aspiring women composers need more names to admire and follow, fostering inspiration and encouragement to embark on a career path filled with challenges.

**Role Model and Family Support:**

For Royal, family support played a crucial role. She emphasizes the need for families to provide wings to their daughters for them to succeed. Growing up, there was no discrimination between her and her brother, allowing her talent to flourish.

**Commercial Success:**

Royal views commercial success as a gradual process rather than an instant achievement. She highlights that a song’s journey to becoming a hit can take weeks, months, or even more than a year. This gradual success keeps artists grounded and focused on future projects.

**Working on Film Compositions:**

Working on compositions for films presents a more challenging landscape as it involves catering to a storyline and a director’s vision. Royal acknowledges the cinematic medium’s power to communicate and connect with a broader audience.

**Academic Background:**

Admitting to being a “bad student,” Royal completed her B.Com (Hons) from Delhi University. The decision was primarily driven by her desire to move out of Ludhiana and pursue music in the capital.

**Upcoming Projects:**

Following her contributions to Hichki and Veere Di Wedding, Royal is set to work on upcoming projects like Gully Boy, directed by Zoya Akhtar and starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, as well as Gulab Jamun, Anurag Kashyap’s film possibly featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan in lead roles.