Ciney and her husband Rajesh flanked by two band members of Mantra, Pravesh Subba (left) and Pragya Lama. Picture by Suman Tamang

Kalimpong, Oct. 27: A dream batch for any school, from which as many as three girls have made it big in the entertainment industry of India and Nepal.

Of the trio from Dow Hill Girls’ School in Kurseong, Mahima Chaudhury of Bollywood fame and Tollywood actor Churni Ganguly need no introduction. However, those not familiar with Nepali pop music would not have heard about Ciney Gurung, the singer-cum-songwriter who has been making waves.

In Darjeeling to perform at a landslide relief concert, Ciney spoke to The Telegraph over phone right after belting out numbers from her hit debut album Yo Mann (This Heart). “I feel proud, especially after having grown up in Dow Hill besides studying here in Loreto College,” she said.

“I took up singing professionally quite late in life — after I moved to Kathmandu in 2000. I began by singing at Hotel Dwarikas every Friday,” said Ciney, also a teacher, having taught in Himali Boarding School in Kurseong .

Though her fans thought she should have cut an album much earlier, it was only in 2003 that Anand Tuladhar, a music producer, called her for an audition. “I was hesitant at first, but finally relented, though it took me two more years to come out with Yo Mann, which was released in May 2005,” said Ciney.

The title track and another number from the album, Timro Lagi (For You), went on to become huge hits. Ciney will now feature as a guest artiste in the soon-to-be released album of her husband Rajesh Shrestha’s band XMantra. “I have penned three songs for the album, one of them in English,” she said.

Mention Mahima (she was Ritu then, before Bollywood showman Subash Ghai rechristened her) and Churni, and Ciney chuckles excitedly. “I remember the three of us doing a play together. It was titled The Other Man where Ritu played the role of a man, Churni his wife, and I played a thief,” she recalled fondly.

While the man and wife have gone on to make successful careers in acting, the thief continues to steal many a heart with her mellifluous voice and sensitive lyrics.