By Ahana Bhattacharya

Mumbai, Jul 5 (IANS): The 19-year-old Haryanvi singer Renuka Panwar has become a social media sensation thanks to her song "52 gaj ka daman" garnering over a billion views on YouTube in less than a year.

Talking about the same, Renuka said: "It feels nice and I feel proud of my team. This is the first time that a song sung by a simple Haryanvi girl like me has crossed one billion views on YouTube. It is my honour to be the one who pioneered this."

Hailing the song as a "life-changing opportunity", the singer added: "I have recorded many other songs after '52 gaj ka daman' such as 'Unchi haveli' and 'Balayen', but 52 gaj has been a life-changing opportunity for me."

Talking about how her musical journey started, Renuka said: "I started young. My brother Vicky Panwar played a big role in my musical journey. In fact my entire family was supportive of my career in music. I had first sung a song named 'Sun soniyo' composed by Karan Panchal. My first ever duet was a Hindi song."

However, the youngster who grew up in Khekra, Uttar Pradesh, had to face her share of obstacles while trying to pursue her dream.

She recalled: "When my brother used to take me to rehearsals and recordings, people in my village used to look down upon us. They would say this field is not good for girls and it is better if my parents focus on giving me proper education rather than raising me like a future singing star.

"To be fair, I have met some really amazing people in this industry. For example, Mukesh Jaji bhai, the lyricist of '52 gaj ka daman', treats me like his sister. Diler Karakiya bhai is like a brother to me. Sapna ma'am and the Desi Records team have been a big support as well."

Now that life has changed, Renuka is extremely popular on social media too, with an Instagram family of over 400k!

"I request all to keep up their support. Their following and love means a lot to me. My Insta Family loves my voice. They are happy when my new songs come out and cheer me with their enthusiasm. I hope this family expands."

Any plans of venturing into Bollywood playback singing? "This has always been a dream of mine. I wish to work someday with Arijit (Singh) sir and Jubin Nautiyal sir. If God wills, this too shall come true," concluded the singer.