Rember the iconic soap ad where the model hums

La, lalala, la, la, la.... Such was the magic of Preeti Sagar's voice that her humming still has a huge recall value. The soap ad was celebratory of her potential. Early in her career, jingle sensation Preeti Sagar understood the importance of keeping it natural and nuanced.

Daughter of the well-known actor/singer/filmmaker Moti Sagar, music was the backdrop of her life. Fame embraced her heartily with B Nagi Reddi's Julie (1975). The bold teen romance, aided by tantalising tunes, was a winner. The crowning melody was the English number My heart is beating, rendered by Preeti. "Rajesh Roshan guided me to bring in the emotions, what words to stress, and how to lift the notes," recalls the singer. The chartbuster won Preeti fans and the Filmfare Trophy. Prodigious Preeti impressed audiences by faultlessly rendering the classical Piya baaj pyaala piya jaaye na, composed by Vanraj Bhatia for Shyam Benegal's Nishant (1975).

Preeti belted another rustic rhapsody, Mero gaam katha parey in Manthan (1976), which went on to become the signature soundtrack of the resultant brand Amul. So pastoral and passionate was the track that it even left Prince Charles enthralled. After songs like Tumhare bin jee na lage ghar mein (Bhumika, 1977) and Shamsheer barahna maang ghazab (Mandi, 1983), Preeti soon came to be known as the voice of Smita Patil, a champion of avant-garde cinema. In showbiz, where rivalry is ruthless, Preeti denies having encountered any.

Opting to contribute to children's entertainment, she pioneered audio versions of nursery rhymes and created a Fairy Tales series.

She goes on to narrate her story in her own words.

"MUSIC IS MY INHERITANCE"