'Dhurandhar' singer Jasmine relied on food stamps to survive in the US

Singer Jasmine Sandlas is getting a lot of love for her songs in 'Dhurandhar' and 'Dhurandhar 2', especially 'Jaiye Sajna'. While she's got fame and success, Jasmine's journey hasn't been easy.

Jasmine has spoken about her early family life and also her battle with alcoholism. She was born in Jalandhar and later moved to California with her family, recently opened up about the hardships that shaped her life long before fame arrived.Jasmine recalled moving to the United States when she was in the 8th or 9th standard. While her father had enjoyed a respected legal career in Punjab, life changed drastically after the move.

“We landed in New York. I didn’t speak English. Whatever was the local school, my father got us admitted there. We used to live in a one-bedroom apartment which was a low-income home, and we were 6 people,” she shared on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast.

The transition was especially difficult for her parents. Her father, who had once topped law school and held a prestigious position in India, started over by working at a gas station in America.

Her mother, a former teacher, took up factory jobs and even picked cherries to support the family. Jasmine revealed that they relied on food stamps to survive in those years.Remembering her father’s sacrifices, she said, “I remember sitting with him in the snow and he had no shoes on. When I asked him, he told me that snowshoes are very expensive. He sacrificed his whole life for us. He left a high-paying, well-respected job in India to give me and my siblings a better life.”Things slowly became stable after the family relocated to California, where her father eventually found work within the legal system as an interpreter.Jasmine admitted that her teenage years in America were emotionally overwhelming. “From age 13 to like 18, I had no idea what was happening in my life. Itna kuch chal raha tha. We were struggling in more ways than one,” she said.Adjusting to a new culture, language, and financial reality while living in cramped conditions took a toll on the entire family.

According to Jasmine, it took nearly five to six years before they finally felt settled.Amid the chaos, music became her only escape. “At 12, 13, I used to sing shabads at the gurudwara. Uss time koi music nahi tha meri life mein, the only time I could sing was shabads at the gurudwara,” she recalled.The singer also reflected on the emotional strain immigrant families often endure. She explained that her parents were carrying enormous pressure, which naturally affected the children as well.“Parents are not emotionally regulated. It is a lot for them too, but it is really a lot for children growing up in that. We were just kids. We needed guidance, protection, and nourishment,” she said.Despite her passion for singing, Jasmine revealed that her parents were initially unconvinced about music as a profession. While her mother saw it as a hobby, her father believed it could never become a stable career path.“I

asked my parents to give me six months. If I make it, good — otherwise I will quit,” she said. She didn’t make it that time. She didn’t quit either," she said. In 2014, Yaar Na Miley from Kick turned Jasmine Sandlas into a widely recognised name across the country. The chartbuster, co-written with Yo Yo HoneySingh, became one of the year’s biggest Bollywood songs and marked a major breakthrough in her career. But just as success arrived, Jasmine suffered a devastating personal loss — the death of her father.Reflecting on that period, Jasmine shared how difficult it was to process fame and grief at the same time.“Yaar Na Miley was the biggest hit at the time, and I lost my dad. My whole family fell apart. We could never find an anchor again,” she said.Describing the role her father played in the family, she added, “My father was a silent type, a good righteous man. He was the anchor. When he left, hum sab bikhar gaye. We are still trying to gather the pieces.

It’s been more than ten years. I miss him. I want to celebrate success with him.”The emotional impact of losing him, coupled with sudden stardom and shifting family dynamics, pushed Jasmine into a turbulent phase of her life. She candidly admitted that she struggled with alcohol during those years.“A lot of things piled up — I was famous, I was feeling certain things, my family broke apart, my father was no more. I drank more than I should have, and I regret it — but it was important for me at that time,” she said. Jasmine also revealed that her complicated relationship with alcohol stemmed from her childhood experiences. Growing up around a father who drank shaped the way she viewed it for years.“There are two things that happen when you have a father who drinks — either you become one, or you say I can’t ever do this. So I did both.”