Lagnajita Chakraborty is not at all social media savvy. Her Instagram handle has only about 15 pictures which are mostly from her live performances and recording sets. Her other social media profiles are in the same state of affairs despite being managed by professionals. The singer is in fact, also not on WhatsApp, the most commonly used app for communication. But despite all her social media apathy, there’s no denying that a whole generation of young Bengalis swoon to her melodious voice as she croons such hit film numbers as Basanta Eshe Geche or Preme Pora Baron. She tells us in all seriousness, “If things go digital, full-fledged, then I guess I will have to go with the flow. But, I am not a social media person.”
One thing that Lagnajita confesses to missing badly during the pandemic-induced lockdown is performing live on stage. “I have sorely missed the eclectic vibe of a live audience. I did a few shows online during the pandemic but I did not enjoy them at all. Live audiences stimulate a performer and we thrive on that energy which we get from the other side of the stage. Performing in front of a phone or a camera is so dull and certainly not what I like or enjoy,” says Lagnajita, who is happy that live performances are back. She adds, “I performed live at a physical venue a couple of months back and will be performing this month-end in Assam. We are still following the COVID-19 protocols with the audience turning up in masks. People are still wary about the situation and I believe it will take a lot of time for the world to get back to the old normal times.”
She sums up 2021 as both good and bad and dotted with a lot of self-introspection. “The pandemic actually taught m e to have more patience in life,” reflects the singer, whose recently-released song Behaya from the film Ekannoborti is fetching positive reviews.