New Delhi: Haryanvi folk singer and dancer Sapna Chaudhary has denied joining the Congress party, a day after reports of her having joining hands with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra emerged. Amid the confusion and her alleged U-turn, social media is flooded with photographs, most of which feature Chaudhary with Congress workers. However, another regular feature in those pictures is a mystery man, who many have expressed curiosity about.
The man in question is Dev Kumar Deva, who clarified to ThePrint that these are actually old pictures. He said Chaudhary had met Priyanka Gandhi, where a ticket was offered to her from Mathura.
The 33-year-old Deva himself is an actor and singer of some repute in his native Haryana.
Humble beginnings
Born Dev Kumar Ahlawat, Deva hails from a humble family background in Digal village, Jhajjar district.
Deva was known for his sense of humour since his school days, and also developed skills of stage direction and art. While working with a stage programme troupe, he started singing and acting. He was first recognised for his performance in the Haryanvi play Draupadi ka Cheer Haran, and later, won accolades for the role of ‘Nashedi Bhai’.
Deva told ThePrint that he entered the music industry in 2008 through a religious album titled Namo Namo Bhole.
In 2009, he won recognition for a song titled Hukka bhar liya, but his claim to fame came five years later, in the form of the song Saali aa jaa atariya.
He was introduced to the Haryanavi film industry through a movie titled Fauji Mehar Singh, based on the life of a soldier who composed raginis, the Haryanvi folk music form.
After winning several awards for his performances in Haryana, he started getting recognition in other states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Also read: Sapna Chaudhary says she has not joined Congress, claims pictures with Priyanka are old
Partnership with Sapna Chaudhary
Deva told ThePrint that Chaudhary was a huge fan of his singing, though they first met each other in 2016. Since then, they have released three songs together — Saasre mein badli, Jabar bharota and Laadli — and are soon going to release three more.
Deva’s latest song Pallu latke is already a rage, while another called Bhartar, with Chaudhary, is slated to be released soon.
Experience in journalism too
Deva also claims to have experience in journalism, thanks to his cousin who runs a local press. He said he has been associated with Janta TV and Dainik Jagran as a reporter. He also holds experience of anchoring a show Dhoom Dhadaka on India News Haryana channel. He has also hosted a programme called Chaudhary Ki Chaupal for Khabar Fast channel, where he interacted with sarpanchs of several villages to understand issues.
Deva also endorses several popular regional brands such as Ace Tractor, Jet Engine, Eco Max and Rajshree Seeds. He has around one lakh followers on Facebook.
Ideas for promoting Haryanvi films
With a decade of experience in show business, Deva believes that Haryanvi films are proving their mettle and winning accolades not across India. Haryanvi music is not just giving Punjabi and Bhojpuri music a run for its money but also topping the charts in Bollywood.
He expects the industry to do much better if Haryanvi movies are made tax free.
Also read: Sapna Chaudhary says she has not joined Congress, claims pictures with Priyanka are old
Political future?
Deva hints at an active political career later in life. He said he is in touch with some political parties and may participate in the legislative assembly elections later this year. However, he is also likely to be seen campaigning in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, though he will not reveal whether it will be for the Congress or the BJP.
(Translated by Himani Chandna)