Published on News18, April 5, 2025, curated by Yatamanyu Narain
Rekha Bhardwaj shares why she sought Osho despite career highs: ‘I was known as Vishal Bhardwaj’s wife’
Rekha Bhardwaj, known for her soulful voice and timeless songs, opens up about her spiritual awakening and the emotional chaos that led her to Osho’s teachings.
Renowned singer Rekha Bhardwaj has long been celebrated for her distinctive voice and soul-stirring renditions that have left a lasting imprint on Indian cinema. From haunting ghazals to playful folk-infused tracks, her music evokes emotion that feels deeply personal, often described as meditative in its effect. But as she now reveals, much of that depth didn’t just come from training or talent—it came from navigating an inner landscape marked by questions, chaos, and quiet transformation.
In a heartfelt interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Rekha opened up about a lesser-known side of her life—the spiritual path she embarked upon despite enjoying success in love, life, and career. What triggered this journey wasn’t a sudden tragedy, but a quieter, more unsettling feeling of inner unrest. “Yes, I was successful in love, life, and my career. But even then, I felt pulled toward something else,” she admitted.
This “something else” eventually led her to the teachings of Osho. While many associate spirituality with healing after trauma, Rekha challenges that narrative. She pointed out how even those at the height of their professional glory—like the late Vinod Khanna—have sought spiritual grounding. “Didn’t Vinod Khanna, at the peak of his career, leave everything to go to Osho?” she asked rhetorically. “The search for something deeper doesn’t always wait for life to fall apart. Sometimes, it’s the silence within that becomes too loud to ignore.”
Rekha described a specific kind of restlessness—one that creeps in even when everything externally seems in place. “I was constantly introduced as Vishal Bhardwaj’s wife,” she said. “I had achieved a lot in music, yes, but I started to question—who am I beyond these roles?” This identity crisis wasn’t dramatic, but it was persistent. And despite being immersed in the one thing she loved the most—music—there was a part of her that felt incomplete.
“There’s a strange sadness that can hit you even during the happiest moments,” she reflected. “You might be sitting with your loved ones, watching the most perfect sunset, and still feel something hollow inside. That’s when you realize the journey has to turn inward.”
It was during this period of self-reflection that she turned to Osho’s teachings. What followed was not just a philosophical awakening but a deeper understanding of her own emotional makeup. “Being a part of Osho’s school of meditation helped me see things clearly. I learnt what ego truly is—not as a word, but as an experience. I started seeing how easily jealousy or resentment creeps in, how we project blame outward instead of looking within.”
With refreshing honesty, Rekha spoke about confronting uncomfortable truths. “There was chaos in my mind,” she confessed. “And that chaos wasn’t because of the world—it was because of me. I had to admit my confusion, my insecurities, my anger, my jealousy. Facing those parts of myself wasn’t easy. But once I started to do that, something shifted.”
This shift wasn’t just personal—it impacted her artistry. “The more I understood myself, the more grounded I became. I started enjoying life with a kind of calm I didn’t have before. And that peace, that clarity, began to reflect in my music. When you sing from a place of self-awareness, it resonates more. It touches people without effort.”
For Rekha, this transformation has been both liberating and humbling. It didn’t change her fundamentally, she says—it revealed her more fully to herself. “I didn’t become someone new. I just became more myself,” she said simply.
She believes that the artist’s inner world always bleeds into their expression, whether they realize it or not. “When you’re chaotic inside, your music may sound beautiful but might not touch deeply. But when you’ve done the inner work, that same voice carries a different vibration.”
Now, as she continues to sing, perform, and inspire, Rekha Bhardwaj does so with a renewed sense of purpose—not just to entertain, but to connect. “Music is no longer just performance for me,” she says. “It’s a reflection of my journey, and maybe, a companion to someone else’s.”
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