Indie artiste Nikitaa Mehta opens up about her rapport with truth in latest song, Truman Show

This year, singer-songwriter Nikitaa Mehta (stage name, Nikitaa) let her friendships fall prey to distance and oblivion. In her latest song, Truman Show, the artiste unearths a reality where seemingly, everyone around her adheres to an exit, one to which she has no access or insight. She felt like being a bystander in her own story. Nikitaa baited impetus from Peter Weir’s 1998 Jim Carrey starrer sci-fi comedy film The Truman Show. Vaguely, it is about someone living a fake life without knowing, and that echoes with how she feels. Her eponymous song speaks of reactions trapped within a societal construct beyond her control and that which lacks truth.

You mentioned stripping away ‘extras’ in production to emphasise the song’s core message. Can you elaborate on this decision-making process and its effect on the song?
When I first started production on this song, I was leaning towards a pop Jack Antonoff-inspired arrangement. Then it morphed into pop punk, and then back into another iteration of pop… but none of it felt right. I was trying to fit something big and grand into a song that’s more raw, vulnerable and bare (emotionally speaking). The whole point of production is to drive the message of a song home. So I tore it all down. When I built it into what it is now, everyone who heard the song said that it felt gut-wrenching in the best way. Sometimes you have to sweep away the bells and whistles to allow the message and melancholy in a song like this to shine.

Why the title?
The Truman Show is originally the name of a 1998 movie starring Jim Carey. It follows the lead character — Truman — as he slowly learns that he’s lied to his whole life: his existence has been the focal point of a TV show that everyone knows of except him. And when he learns the truth, he does all he can to escape the show. For the first several months of this year, I felt like Truman. That’s where the title and several key metaphors in the song come from.

In the midst of it all, how do you prioritise self-care?
I’m thankful that I have friends who keep me grounded like I do them. I’m also grateful for therapy. But daily, self-care sometimes looks like moving slowly on emotionally difficult days. Other times, it looks like journaling, weight lifting etc… I have learned to keep a toolbelt of self-care practices handy. That way I can care for myself in different ways depending on what I need at the moment. But I think the biggest thing is reminding myself that I don’t have to deal with bad days and bad times alone. I’ve worked hard at asking for help when I need it, rather than braving the storm solo.

Truman Show is streaming on all platforms.