I was thrilled to see that the audiences in Ahmedabad were open to all kind of songs: Kanika Kapoor

Her debut Bollywood song, Baby Doll went on to become a chartbuster that continues to be one of the most favourite dance floor numbers even after five years of its release. Kanika Kapoor followed up her debut hit with other chartbusters like Lovely and Kamlee (Happy New Year), Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan (Roy), Premika (Dilwale), Da Da Dasse (Udta Punjab) and Beat Pe Booty (A Flying Jatt).
Kanika trained in Hindustani Classical music since her childhood. Her intense desire to follow a career in music inspired her to leave her cushy life in London and shift base to India. After experiencing a meteoric rise in Bollywood, Kanika has been taking it slow for the last couple of years and has done only a handful of songs. She admits to having “distanced” herself from the “busy Bollywood life” to spend time with her three children and make up for the time lost during her busy career. “I felt my kids needed me, so I took a step back to spend time with them,” says the singer.
Kanika says that she will be “back in action pretty soon as there are some interesting projects lined up” in the near future. In town for a performance, Kanika speaks about her impromptu gig for Amdavadis, how music is becoming increasingly market driven and how everyone expects another massive hit like Baby Doll. Excerpts from a chat:
You have performed in Ahmedabad earlier, but this was your first public concert. How has the experience been?
I always thought that people in Gujarat would mostly be interested only in Gujarati music. I was pleasantly surprised with the kind of response I got here. Amdavadis really know their music well and also know how to enjoy themselves. I have performed across the world and every city has its own distinct liking for a certain kind of music. So, in the beginning of any concert, I try to see what the audience likes and then perform accordingly. But I was pleased to see that the audiences in Ahmedabad were open to all kind of songs. I did Bollywood numbers, Sufi songs and songs of other singers as well and they really enjoyed. So it was a very nice experience and I would love to come back.
After delivering back to back hits, the number of songs you have sung in past two years has come down considerably. Is it a conscious decision?
After my debut song became a hit, I was inundated with offers. I felt overwhelmed by the number of offers I was getting. I just got extremely busy with my work. In that process, I couldn’t spend enough time with my children. They still live in London and most of my work happens in India, so I am constantly travelling between these two countries. It’s not easy to manage your career and family, especially if you are a single mother. I am happy to take time out for my kids. But now I am getting back to music and very soon you will get to hear a lot more new music from me.
You are trained in Indian classical music. But your Bollywood innings has been pop driven. How did that shift happen?
Music is after all music, so even pop songs are equally tough. And I have done a mix of everything. My song Da Da Dasse from Udta Punjab was a tough song that required a lot hard work. What happens to most playback singers is that they are mostly remembered for their biggest hit and for me it happens to be Baby Doll. People keep expecting I will deliver a bigger hit than that song!
How has Bollywood music changed in the recent years?
Pehle composers used to concentrate on melody. But now, no one has the time to listen to the melody, people just want a hit song. Log abhi bhi aake bolte hain ki madam woh Baby Doll jaisa ek gaana gaa dijiye hamare liye. It has been five years, ab toh chhod do uss gaane ko. I can offer a lot as a singer. I can sing in three octaves. Par logon ko wahi chahiye. That’s why very few songs have a long shelf-life. I am looking at doing something more meaningful, that will be remembered for a very long time.