Regional industries tend to give more importance to singers than Bollywood: Nikhita Gandhi

Singer Nikhita Gandhi has been rather busy with projects in both

Bollywood

and Tollywood. The singer, who has won accolades for songs like Najaa,

Jugnu

, and

Bandi Tot

and many more, was in town recently to promote her new track. CT caught up with her for a quick chat. Excerpts:

How has your trip to Kolkata been?Kolkata is my home and it has been an amazing trip! Even though I stay in Mumbai now, I cannot keep the City of Joy out of my mind.

With no release and live shows, how did you cope with the lockdown and subsequent waves of the pandemic? I was in Mumbai during the first lockdown. Incidentally, in 2019, I set up a home studio. So, I made music almost every day and I kept myself distracted during the initial phase. I didn’t know if I was depressed or not, but I was taking all my frustration out on my home! I renovated it entirely. It was after a month that the lockdown hit me really hard. Many artistes left Mumbai and then there were several others who couldn’t even arrange for daily essentials. It was a difficult time for everyone.

Do you think the pandemic has changed the way the Indian music industry functions?The music industry was battered during the pandemic. But, a lot of independent music started happening during the first phase of the pandemic and is continuing to date. Many talented new musicians have now come forward and it’s a welcome change. The industry that was largely dependent on films, has found an independent foothold now.


As a singer, do you feel that the scope of playback singing is shrinking?I think the general trend of content consumption has gravitated from larger-than-life stories to more realistic ones. That is why we find the presence of more background scores than full-fledged songs in movies nowadays. It’s a good sign and this trend has helped create a separate identity for artistes. Independent music is doing well too. Several of my non-film songs are bigger hits than my film playbacks. There is no dearth of opportunities for indie artistes because there will always be an audience for good music — it’s just that the format has changed.

You’ve worked in Bollywood, the Bengali film industry and also down south. What are the differences between the industries that you’ve noticed?The working styles are different. I believe regional industries tend to give more importance to singers and musicians than Bollywood.



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