Fabulous @14 | DOT. aka Aditi Saigal proudly calls Bengaluru home and represents a new generation that’s out to redefine what the city means!

Her face seemed familiar. Like someone we’d seen before. Reminiscent of a vibe that we all connected with. The first time we noticed DOT. aka Aditi Saigal essaying the role of Ethel Muggs in the much-loved Netflix version of The Archies by Zoya Akhtar, we just knew there was so much more to this actress.

Skip to a few months later and we hear that she’s making her concert debut at Bandland, in our very own city of Bengaluru. What caught us by surprise, however, was when we realised the actress-singer was now a proud Bengalurean, having moved officially into Cox Town, two years ago.

DOT. as she prefers to be known, however, has been in Bengaluru for a long time. Her grandparents have always been here and so, while this was another home, it became her chosen home only recently.

Representing a huge generation of people who have made that conscious choice of moving into our home city for the sheer love of it, we catch up with Aditi on a pleasant afternoon at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel to journey through her career and celebrate life as it unfurls for the unstoppable at heart!

We have to start with what your name DOT. means?

A dot is something that’s small but it’s significant.

A lot of people know you as an actor, most do not know that first and foremost you are a musician. So, where did this journey into music start?

I’ve been playing music since I was a child. I took a piano class when I was little and then I started writing songs quite early on. So, I started writing around the time I was 13/14 and then my YouTube channel took off. I used to upload these small piano ditties on YouTube and put them up and they went viral. One song called Everybody Dances to Techno became very well known and at that time I was actually living in Wales, which is where my college was. I was a part of the Indian music scene but I was not in India. It was kind of this weird in-between space.

Is music something that you were interested in from a very young age?

Definitely! Since I was a young kid, I loved singing. I was always singing everything from spiritual chants in school to Hannah Montana songs. I listened to a lot of singer-songwriters and a lot of jazz as I was growing up — music that always played at home.

Has your taste in music changed since?

I think over time — the older I’ve gotten, the more expansive my music taste has become. My music is expanding.

We heard that you’re going to release an EP soon?

Yes, the EP is called Sea Creature on the Sofa. I feel like a sea creature all the time (laughs). I wrote the EP at the start of this year. Four different songs. I had this image of the windows breaking in my living room and the water pouring in and a sea creature coming and sitting on the sofa and playing video games with me. From that vision came these four songs. I think the EP represents a period of taking charge and finally doing the music that I want to do — because over the last year I’ve been mainly experimenting and trying different things out — so, this is an EP that is all me. It’s coming from my heart. It’s a large band that we recorded with — a horn section, nice backing vocals and percussion — so, it’s a very full live sound.

And when are we going to probably hear this?

First half of next year, hopefully.

You also are part of several bands, two that you performed with at Bandland in the city recently?

Yes, it was my first festival, so it was a huge, huge deal. Before the show started I had my back to the crowd and I just closed my eyes. I was just getting into the zone and then I turned around and there were so many people in front of me. I’ve never seen that big of a crowd for me. So, that was quite stunning, it made me giggle. What a blast I had! I didn’t know that having a crowd like that gives you so much energy. In Bengaluru especially, the people are just aching for live music and are such an amazing crowd!

Are you keen on other forms of performance?

Absolutely! I was a theatre kid in school.

You’ve been a Bengalurean now for two years — how did that move happen?

I moved to Bengaluru because I love it. My grandparents do live here but over and above that I really love Bengaluru! I think it’s got a beautiful music culture and a beautiful reading culture. You know the bookstores and the libraries and everything! I spend a lot of time reading here and the food is great, the weather is great and I know people complain about the traffic, but I just have to say the traffic is bad everywhere now, so, I don’t understand what that is about!

Switching to films, how did that journey start?

Zoya (Akhtar) found me through my YouTube channel, which I started in 2017 and I got to write some music for The Archies. Only later did she kind of ask me if I’d be willing to audition for a role. I never thought it would go through. I just did the audition for fun, for an experience and it ended up blowing up and kind of becoming this big thing. I didn’t even know the scale of the project till I got to Mumbai. When I got through the audition, I had to suddenly book a flight to Mumbai, pack my bags and go there and spend the next two years rehearsing and filming — it was fabulous. It was a great experience!

Are you now going to be trying a few more roles out?

Not at the moment. I don’t have anything in the books, but I’m hoping that it does happen. I am keeping my mind very open, just letting things come as they come. I think, I need to develop both sides of my career, so that they can work simultaneously. I am still keenly interested in both.

You’re in great shape. What do you do to try and ensure that you stay fit?

I’m actually very bad at this. I’ve been told by many people how much I should be exercising more. I don’t eat terribly but I used to love playing basketball. I love running and swimming and when I was younger I did a lot more of that; but I think my goal for the next year is to get much more into fitness.

What about skincare and hair care?

I think, with skincare people go overboard. I think, the simpler you keep it, the better it is. Just moisturise and use your sunscreen. I’ve been blessed with nice skin, so, I don’t overdo it. I don’t put too many chemicals on my face and I don’t do anything extravagant. With my hair, I’ve been playing around with my hair a lot. I try not to dye it too much. I just use a good shampoo and conditioner and when I style, I like to do heat-less curls.

How would you define your personal style?

I think overall, my day-to-day styling is more cottagecore. I think like I lean vintage. So, actually The Archies was a perfect fit for me because all the clothes were what I would wear in real life. I like bold colours. I also like muted colours. I like wearing a lot of lipstick — it’s fun for me to kind of play around with lip shades.

Mental health is something that is so  important to everyone these days. What do you do to ensure you keep your mind in the right place?

Oh, I’ve been going for therapy on-and-off for the last seven years and for no particular reason. I do it just because I think it’s healthy. I think, it’s one thing that’s important to go through even when you’re feeling better, because it just helps you stay in touch with yourself.

What does 2025 look like for you?

Next year, I think first and foremost for me means getting really serious about the nitty-gritty stuff that will take me over the edge in terms of my music and my acting. So, for music, that means practicing every day. It means taking some drum lessons to get a better sense of rhythm. It means going back to the piano. And for acting it means auditions, auditions and auditions.

And finally, what are the favourite things you like to do in Bengaluru now that you identify as a proud Bengalurean?

My perfect day would be to start with a coffee at a café or start at home with a coffee and then I’d to go down to Cubbon Park, walk around, then have a bhutta/jola or coconut water and then go to Champaka (bookstore/library). After that, I’d probably come back home, change, get ready for the night and go for a gig at Fandom or Windmills or The Raft. I’d watch some live music there, have some good food and great drinks and end the night back at my house with all my friends playing board or party games and then finally call it a day. That’s my perfect Bengaluru day and night! (laughs).

CREDITS:

Photographer: Nithish Ayyod

Assistants: Shaheer CH & Dhanush M

Make-up & hair: Romi Thokchom

Apparel: Odette & Kokun

Location: Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel

All songs by DOT. are streaming on audio platforms. The Archies is streaming on Netflix.

Email: romal@newindianexpress.com

X: @elromal