Once popular singer Rama Mandal spent 32 years of singing struggle in Kathmandu. He was a contract employee in Radio Nepal for 22 years. Retired three and a half years ago. After that Rama's daily life is passing towards Biratnagar. Sometimes they go up to Kathmandu to sing. In the same meso, they meet with old friends. They are thrilled to remember the old days.

Recently, on a trip to Kathmandu, he recorded 11 songs including one in Hindi. It was replaced by old friend/composer Bhupendra Rayamazhi. Rama's interest in singing was from childhood. Mother Kushmi Devi used to sing the songs of Vidyapati, Sarada Sinha. Listening to his mother's singing, he was laughing, "I was able to sing like this!" 

His singing career officially began in 2038. When he stood first in the Koshi zone modern singing competition. Soon after, in 2039, he came second in the nationwide folk song competition held at Birendra Hall in Biratnagar. After receiving a cash prize of 700 from the hand of the then Queen Aishwarya, he became more enthusiastic about singing. 

At that time Bhupendra Rayamazhi's musical group, 'Tyros', was in Biratnagar. Rama also joined that group. He became active in various musical activities. Father worked in a jute mill. He is a child laborer in Ganapati Cotton Mill. From the age of 14, he started working for the livelihood of the family. The time left from the factory was spent in songs and music. 

Composer Rayamazhi was a good guitarist. After he moved to Kathmandu, the musical group disbanded. Rama also went up to Kathmandu with Raima's insistence. Born in the Terai, he first stepped into the Kathmandu Valley. Rayamazhi used to play guitar in Radio Nepal. One day he called Rama, "Come and watch Radio Nepal or not." This is how his radio started broadcasting in Nepal.

Rama passed Radio Nepal's vocal test with the song 'Channa er Ichshar sall lik phool Oiligae', circa 2041. "After passing the vocal exam, you would get time to record the song", says Rama, "It didn't cost money to get the time". Started working in the industry again. If a song had to be recorded, Bhupendra kept calling. He used to go up to Kathmandu by night bus. Recorded and returned again. This process went on for a long time. Biratnagar-Kathmandu one way fare was Rs 60. The slave company used to go by bus. "Sometimes it was difficult to pay 60 rupees for a car," he says. 

Deepak Karki, another musician from Biratnagar who met in Kathmandu in 2045, asked to sing in a restaurant. A restaurant called Mughal Mahal in Tripureshwar was considered famous at that time. Rama started singing in the restaurant. At that time, he also got a job in Radio Nepal. It was easy for him to get a job in Radio Nepal as he graduated in music from Allahabad Music School in India. After singing in a restaurant and working at Radio Nepal, he called his family in Biratnagar to Kathmandu.

Rama  with Indian singer Anuradha Paudwal. 

After that, offers to sing in the cinema started coming. For the first time, he sang the top songs of the movie 'Manakamana', 'Jai Jai Aama Manakamana' and 'Bujhdai Nabujhne Yo Maan Lai Sahin Mein Maine'. It caught the attention of filmmakers, directors. Uddhav Paudel, an old resident of Biratnagar, announced the production of a new cinema named 'Gopi Krishna'. His friend Bhupendra arranged for Rama to sing in the cinema. The composer of the movie was Bhupendra. 

Rama went 'viral' after singing the song 'Kaan Chhau Kaan' from the movie 'Gopikrishna'. He never looked back after that. In particular, there was another song in his part, 'Maya itself is chokho hoe, there is no bond'. But Rama was drawn by the song 'Kaan Chhau Kaan' written by Dhanendra Bimal. 

In the year 2048, director Uddhav and composer Bhupendra's family and singer Lochan Bhattarai along with Rama went to Bombay (Mumbai) for song recording. ``I wanted to sing the song 'Kaan Khau Kaan,'' recalls Rama, 'but the director and composer could not be convinced of me.' Uddhav's wish was to let Bollywood singer Kumar Sanu sing the song. Bhupendra's wish was the same. Rama said to Uddhav, 'Director saab please let me sing a good song.'

Uddhav expressed doubts, 'This is a very difficult song. Later, if the song goes bad, your efforts may go to waste.' Rama immediately replied, 'Why not after practicing.' Uddhav left it to the composer Bhupendra.

Rama practiced the song throughout the train journey and recorded it in one take. Sadhana Sargam, a famous Bollywood singer of that time, also has a voice in this song. "It was a great achievement for me to sing the song that I was going to give to Kumar Sanu," said Rama, "After singing that song, I didn't have to look back." Udit Narayan Jha sang the song "Maya Samshim Chokho Hoi" which means giving to Rama.

singer Udit Narayan Jha and other musicians Rama .

He was listening to Radio Nepal one Saturday at his house in Biratnagar's Mills area. It was recommended in a program related to music, 'Now listen to the song of Nepali movie Gopi Krishna in the voice of Sadhana Sargam and Rama Mandal, 'Khaan Chhau Kahan...'' he jumped with joy. "Carrying the radio to the neighbor's house, he said, 'My song is playing, listen to it,'" he says, recalling that time.