Drawing from Assamese tradition, lush nature and her melodious vocals, Abhishruti Bezbaruah weaves magic in her new song De Dheki De. In this candid chat, she talks about the song and more.
What inspired you to create De Dheki De?
It comes from a personal memory. De Dheki De itself is a traditional folk verse that has been passed down orally through generations. Growing up, I didn’t just hear about the dheki (the traditional wooden rice pounder); I experienced it. I remember going to my grandmother’s house and watching rice being pounded — the sound of it really stayed with me. There’s a whole rhythm to it: the khubuli striking the gaat, the precise timing of the hands pushing the rice in… it’s all about sync. And it’s a shared act of women working together, completely in rhythm. That idea of sync really inspired me.
With this song, I wanted to take that natural rhythm and blend it with our local instruments to create a new soundscape. Today, the dheki is slowly being replaced by grinders, but anyone who has grown up with it knows — pithas made from dheki-pounded rice just taste different, more authentic. In many ways, this song is my attempt to hold on to that memory and archive a tradition. It’s also a tribute to the sense of community — especially during Rongali and Bhogali Bihu, when women come together, after their daily chores, to prepare for the festivities.
How did you integrate Assamese tradition into the soundscape?
It started with listening to the natural rhythms around me. And I didn’t want to recreate that artificially. We went out and recorded the real sounds of the dheki in detail. A lot of this approach comes from my background in sound design and editing for films, both in Hollywood and Bollywood. This time, I finally got to explore the dheki the way I always wanted to. We fused it with our core Bihu instruments like the dhol, pepa, and gogona — keeping the soul intact while presenting it in a contemporary way. I am particular about striking that balance — not losing our ethos, the rawness, but still creating something new for today’s audience.
Is there a particular line that is close to your heart?
“Ei kotha goroki dhumur-dhumur khot-long-khot, dhekur-kur dhekur-kur khot-long-khot…”
You can actually hear the sound and feel the rhythm just through the words “dhekur-kur” — the way it’s written, composed, and then I’ve tried to render it through my vocals as though the dheki would speak. For me, that moment feels immersive. It’s almost like the dheki comes alive in the song.
Roi Roi Roti completes 10 years. How does De Dheki De continue this conversation of celebrating Bihu?
Roi Roi Roti was our first experiment with sound — blending natural sound effects which are integral to Rongali Bihu with local Assamese ethnic instruments. We even used rice as a percussive element, and towards the end, brought in the waves of the Brahmaputra to build that crescendo. This time, the soundscape is centred around the dheki. While both songs celebrate the spirit of Bihu, De Dheki De goes deeper into one element and builds an entire sonic world around it.
Tell us about your debut Hindi single.
Jhoom is a beautiful collaboration with Abhi Saikia. It is about love that arrives softly and stays. It’s in the quiet glances, the unspoken words, and the way two hearts find rhythm together — without noise, without rush. It is shot on my phone across the Arctic Circle in Norway, Sweden, Dublin, Bristol, and the UK in a travel vlog format, Jhoom blends travel, emotion and melody to tell a story of self-discovery and love.
What challenges exist for Assamese music to gain wider national recognition?
Assamese music has potential, and it’s already beginning to make its presence felt. Talent is already deeply embedded in the industry, with a significant number of professionals in Mumbai hailing from Assam. That said, one of the key challenges is reach. I feel larger labels need to invest more in it. There are also technical and platform-related challenges. On YouTube, for example, language selection sometimes limits reach.
What changes would you like to see in the Indian music industry to better support regional artistes?
More support for regional artistes at large-scale concerts. Whenever big artistes perform in cities like Assam, the opening acts should feature regional talents, like The Trance Effect opening for Def Leppard or Bryan Adams. Also, I believe the industry should actively incorporate Indian sign language interpreters in concerts to make music accessible to the hearing-impaired community. Overall, I think with more platform-sharing, conscious representation and inclusive practices, the Indian music industry can truly create space for regional artistes to thrive.
Take us through your upcoming works.
I’m currently working on two of my original compositions, hoping to explore more languages, while pursuing my inititiative, Music in Sign Language. This year, I am also ready to release three more of my existing songs as full music videos in sign language.
De Dheki De is streaming on all platforms.
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