Malobika MJ reminds us of early-2000 JLo and we got her to tell us why

Malobika MJ got her start with the Bengali silver screen and is now blazing through new paths in Hindi music. We chat with the multi-faceted sensation to know more 
Malobika reveals her success mantra
Malobika reveals her success mantra

Actor-singer Malobika MJ has worked with everyone on the big screen, be it Buddhadeb Dasgupta or Raj Chakraborty; but the former Miss Kolkata does not want to limit herself. We say this because she made her foray into music this year, and it’s safe to say she’s acing it. Her newest single Pagalpan crossed a million views in just a month, and she has quite a few numbers ready for release. We caught up with the multi-tasker to know more about her plans.

Malobika's newest single is already a chart-buster
Malobika's newest single is already a chart-buster

Tell us a little about your single Pagalpan

Pagalpan is sung and written by me. In fact, I was also very involved with the creative process behind the making of the video. You’ll see the number has this retro a vibe, a slight nasal variety, mainly because we wanted to have a little fun with the song. It’s called Pagalpan,so we thought it should have an element of quirk and madness to it. In fact the number has been choreographed by the acclaimed Lollypop, who also choreographed the iconic Aati Kya Khandala song!  

The MJ in your name is a reference to Jennifer Lopez! How does she inspire you exactly?

Yes, the M stands for Malobika and the J is an homage to JLo. In fact, everyone in Mumbai calls me MJ. She’s been such an inspiration to me, she does it all! She’s an actor, a singer, a dancer, a multi-tasking success. I relate to her immensely since I have always wanted to act and sing and perform simultaneously; she makes me feel like I can do everything that I aspire to! 

How exactly does Jennifer Lopez inspire Malobika?
How exactly does Jennifer Lopez inspire Malobika?

Tell us how you came into music

I never imagined I’d sing professionally. So, Kill Karda, which came out earlier this year, was my singing debut, it was originally meant to be sung by Neha Kakkar. I was in the studio and I was asked to sing, quite spontaneously! Everyone told me to give it a go. “Dekho kya hota hai, maybe it will work!’ And I sang it, and people appreciated it and they stuck with it. And that’s how I began my foray into music. 

Have you heard Pagalpan, yet?
Have you heard Pagalpan, yet?

Recently, I sang at one of the major Bollywood award shows where Karan Johar introduced me and Katrina Kaif and Sara Ali Khan and all the showbiz A-listers were singing along and everyone was visibly appreciative. Things like these make you feel like you’re on the right path.

You’ve worked with some of the most acclaimed directors in Tollywood. Are you open to working in Bollywood and Tollywood simultaneously?

Of course, we have such incredible scripts here and everyone is so creative. 


Have you noticed a shift in approach between Tollywood and Bollywood?

Yes. For instance, we had a month-long production work for Pagalpan, here it’s quite unthinkable to do the same for just a single. Plus, we shot the entire song in a day! We had such difficult sequences but everyone knew exactly what their job was. I do feel the professionalism is more seasoned there which makes things go smoother.

Malobika at a cake mixing event with Prosenjit Chatterjee
Malobika at a cake mixing event with Prosenjit Chatterjee

Can you tell us about the kind of film projects you’re looking for

Everything is so script-driven now, and people are not just attracted to big names anymore. I don’t want to work in a film which I personally wouldn’t want to see. In fact, I got quite a few offers opposite some big Bollywood names, but the roles just weren’t right; I don’t just want to play a pretty face. I want to play a character who is crucial to the narrative.

In fact, I recently received a script that I’m really interested in and we may have an acclaimed male lead as well, if his dates work out. Of course, I can’t reveal anything else now.

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