Akanksha Bhandari finds love and lyricism in her new single Rang

When love finds its melody in Akanksha Bhandari’s new single Rang, it does more than echo through harmonies — it paints the air in tender hues. Co-created with her husband and fellow musician, Rang is not just a song but an unfolding of emotion, where intimacy becomes rhythm and affection turns lyrical. With folk roots meeting indie pop sensibilities. “Rang actually originated from a composition by my husband. Initially, he shared the composition with me, saying, ‘it will suit my voice.’ Once he had made the first verse of the song, we sat on the rest of it and completed it together,” she tells us.

A seamless symphony of love and folk fusion

Released as a single from her new wedding EP, Rang wasn’t initially part of this project. Unlike the usual wedding songs that have lyrics like, “main teri ho jaun (I will become yours),” this song talks about, “main toh tere rangoon mein rangna chahu (I am coloured by your colours),” making Akanksha think that it could indeed be a wedding song, just a different one where she can uniquely share her feelings. “When we were composing the last verse, at the very last moment, I felt like, in the end, we needed to give it a little bit of an extra wedding feeling. That’s why I composed the end verse and asked the lyricist Rehan Raza to write the lyrics according to that wedding feeling. So, I feel it’s like an indie-pop song that has a few wedding elements to it,” she explains.

When one gives Rang a listen, it feels more than a love song; it almost feels like one is led to be a part of something deeply private. When asked if it took a lot of courage to share something deeply private, she replied, “A song always comes from a personal feeling. I don’t feel intimidated by sharing something personal with my listeners. On the contrary, I love it because they can also relate to that feeling, making it relatable and impactful. I love connecting with my listeners on a deeper level. I feel grateful that I have an audience who resonates with my work.”

When it comes to collaborations, it’s a tricky business for musicians, especially when creative difference comes to the forefront. But for Akanksha, creating this song with her husband was bliss. A stay-at-home kind of person, spending time with her musician husband creating music all day was the best feeling in the world. “It was a seamless collaboration. Creating music with your partner truly feels different. There were no ego clashes or tension,” she shares with us.

With her roots in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, Akanksha has always leaned towards folk music, fusing it with pop sound. “I’ve always been influenced by folk music — especially Punjabi and Himachali folk music, thanks to my mom. She used to teach me those traditional songs because she also wanted to be a singer. She always made me listen to good music. While the music industry today is dominated a little by electronic and pop sounds, I feel that blending folk elements with modern production is something people enjoy — and I enjoy that process too. There’s a lot of experimenting with different folk styles — not just Punjabi or Himachali, but from all over the world. I want to explore that even more. The fusion gives a unique flavour,” she enthuses.

Akanksha looks forward to releasing her EP soon. “I’m going to release it in November. Not just this song, but all the songs in the EP are my favourites and I’m really excited to share them with my listeneres, because every song has a different flavour from a wedding and the emotions connected to that flavour,” she concludes.

Rang is streaming on all audio platforms.

(Written by: Prishita Tahilramani)

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