Singers Shashwat Singh and Nikhita Gandhi on their new musical collaboration ‘ShNik’

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when two of Bollywood’s most versatile playback singers join forces, Shashwat Singh and Nikhita Gandhi have the answer: ShNik. This dynamic duo has been making waves in the industry for years, but with their new musical collaboration, they’re setting out to create an entirely new sound for independent music. Their debut song, Kaahe, which is a blend of folk and hip-hop influences, is just the beginning of this musical journey.

Shashwat and Nikhita have known each other since 2010, from their days at AR Rahman’s music school in Chennai. Over the years, they have collaborated on multiple projects, but ShNik was born out of a shared creative vision. “We’ve always written and composed music together and have been experimenting with different styles,” says Shashwat.

Talking about the genesis of Kaahe, Shashwat says, “Recently, Nikhita has been producing a lot of hip-hop music, while we’ve also been drawing inspiration from the folk traditions. This fusion really resonated with us, and we felt it deserved its own identity.”

The song Kaahe was crafted during the lockdown in Goa, where the two found themselves making music simply for the joy of it. “We were bored and were making a lot of music together,” recalls Shashwat. “Nikhita had started producing, and we were jamming, blending hip-hop beats with classical influences. Kaahe wasn’t even our first song; it was actually our second composition. But when we revisited it, we realised it perfectly captured the essence of ShNik.”

The song tells the story of a conversation between two people; one airing his frustrations, the other trying to understand his struggles. “We wanted to keep the lyrics real, something that the masses would connect with,” explains Shashwat. “It’s a duet, just like our duo, so we wrote it as an exchange, with arguments and fun mixed in. It’s about the everyday emotions people go through.”

The duo decided to keep the visuals simple for Kaahe, opting for a stripped-down, performance-based video. “Initially, we just wanted to drop the audio and introduce our sound without distractions, ” says Nikhita. “But, of course, we’re visual consumers, and people expect a video. So, we put together something minimalist—a representation of our album art coming to life. We’ve actually already shot the next video, which will have a more developed storyline,” she adds.

Their friendship and musical synergy date back over a decade, and their journey together has been anything but conventional. “Shashwat literally is the reason I’m a singer today,” admits Nikhita. “Back when I was in dental school in Chennai, he saw something in me that I didn’t see. He encouraged me to pursue music, played my covers for industry people, and led me towards playback singing.”

For Shashwat, forming ShNik was inevitable. “We’ve always had a strong artistic connection. We agree on a lot, disagree on plenty, and that balance pushes us to evolve. I just wonder why we didn’t do this sooner.”

With ShNik, the duo plans to build a world beyond just music. “Our DNA is music, but we also want to create a community,” says Nikhita. “For now, though, we’re excited to share our voice, and we have a full year of music planned in this folk-hip-hop space.”

As for what’s next, both Shashwat and Nikhita have individual projects in the pipeline, but for now, all eyes are on ShNik. Kaahe is out now, offering a fresh, innovative take on Indian music that’s both nostalgic and new. This is just the beginning of their sonic adventure, and if Kaahe is anything to go by, ShNik is here to stay.

Kaahe is streaming on all major music platforms and YouTube.

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