Nikhita Gandhi is one singer who has never shied away from testing waters in myriad genres. Be it the sassy single Maharani, the techno house number, Ladio, or the power-packed Ordinary Person from Leo, Nikhita leaves no stone unturned when it comes to crooning a medley of styles. The latest in her repertoire is the electrifying Baby Bring It On, from actor and filmmaker Kunal Kemmu’s Madgaon Express, which has taken the internet by storm.
Elaborating on the sassy number she sang with Ajay Gogavale, Nikhita says, “Baby Bring It On is my maiden collaboration with composer Ajay-Atul. The song fell into my lap out of the blue. Since I had never worked with them earlier, it was nice to have broken the ice with them. The song has turned out to be a chartbuster in the Marathi film space. It was really cool to work with them.”
Ask Nikhita if it is a conscious choice to be experimental, and pat comes the reply. “I like being versatile, evolving, and trying new things. I like stepping out of my comfort zone from time to time because I end up surprising myself. I learn a lot and adapt to new genres, and I love challenging myself, in that sense.”
She adds, “Usually, I do not get sufficient time to prepare for a song. Many a time, we only get the brief, and very rarely do we get to hear the song beforehand and work on it. That’s how the industry predominantly works. So, you have to be ready for everything. Sometimes, you have to switch from a sentimental song to a number like Baby Bring It On in one day. The key is to be a blank canvas and absorb all kinds of emotions that come your way. I completely surrender to the song. The more open you are, the more you can keep adapting to different styles.”
Nikhita is known for her magnetic stage presence. Is there a need for musicians to perform as well today? “I don’t know if there’s pressure to be one because every artiste is different and comes with a different energy on stage. And I hope there is no pressure, too. I love to perform, but you can’t expect everyone to be a firecracker on stage,” she says.
Nikhita has also tried her hand at composing. So, what’s the process of making a song from scratch? “There are different ways in which a song is born. Sometimes, it’s born out of a musical idea, and sometimes you start working on the words. I’ve also written a lot of music with other artistes, which is a completely different process. It’s different every single time. ”
Meanwhile, Nikhita is working on yet another single, Class, with Badshah. "There has been a huge buzz around it, with Shah Rukh Khan providing the voiceover for the video. It is a huge album, with a plethora of pop artistes and rappers. When you are part of collaborations, the expectations are different, and you start bringing out aspects of each other that you wouldn't do on your own. Maybe that's why you see me in a lot of collaborations.
She adds, “When you are doing a solo project, it's your baby, which is very rewarding to release music like that. The control part is great, but it's also very scary when you are in charge of everything. I love both, honestly. Both have very different expectations and rewards. But I think you just end up appealing to a larger audience when you're collaborating because you are collaborating with other artistes and their audience gets to hear you, and vice versa."
Nikhita says that, as a musician, she finds inspiration from many people and places. “I look up to so many people, some of whom are probably not even discovered yet. I think inspiration comes from anything. It might not even come from people. See, I love nature, and animals.”
Nikhita has worked with some of the biggest composers in the industry, right from AR Rahman to Pritam. “I have noticed one characteristic among all the greats: curiosity. If you’re curious, you want to keep learning new things, trying new instruments, and experimenting with sounds. That’s one quality that I strive to retain.”
Ask Nikhita how her musical journey from Ladio to Baby Bring It On has been, and she says, “It’s been a long journey. I mean, I do want to keep changing and growing as a musician. But at the same time, as a person, I definitely don’t want to change or let circumstances change me."