Can’t get enough of the soulful and sexy voice singing the title track of Raabta, picturised on a smoking hot Deepika Padukone? It belongs to Calcutta girl Nikhita Gandhi, who makes her Bollywood debut with the number of the June 9 film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon. A La Martiniere for Girls pass-out whose family still lives in Lake Gardens, Nikhita is also a dentist and has been mentored by A.R. Rahman. Before her big Bolly debut, Nikhita lent her voice to Rahman scores in south Indian films like OK Kanmani, I and the recent Kaatru Veliyidai. t2 caught up with the 25-year-old for a chat on music, Calcutta and more.
Congratulations for the song! How did it happen?
Thank you! Most people are telling me that because it’s a very sweet song, it’s very addictive. It’s got this very happy vibe, so people like listening to it again and again.
During the time I was working in the south with (A.R.) Rahman Sir and some other music directors, I would keep visiting Bombay for some collaboration or the other. On one such trip, I was called to Pritam’s studio for some scratch work. The Raabta title track was one of the recordings I did and the director (Dinesh Vijan) really liked it. I had absolutely no idea that this would be the final song and I would be chosen as the final voice. When the song finally released, it was unbelievable… I was so excited, I can’t tell you!
Even earlier, I had sung with Rahman Sir for some Bollywood film scores… like Jab Tak Hai Jaan… for crucial scenes that required humming and random ambient stuff. I did the same for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which was also scored by Pritam. But Raabta is my first proper song. It’s a huge milestone for me.
And having Deepika in the song must be a bonus!
When I first heard it was going to be her, I was like, ‘Woah!’ Deepika isn’t acting in the film but it’s so cool that she gets to be the face of my song because she’s such a tremendous personality. She’s so gorgeous, and suits the song well.
What’s the reaction from friends and family been like?
It’s been crazy! A lot of my juniors from school have messaged me and they remember me from my geeky days being science club president and all that! (Laughs) I would sing in school fests, though. There is this feeling of sisterhood… all my friends feel my achievement is their achievement. My parents are very proud of me. They have been incredibly supportive and they actually don’t have much to complain about because I did finish my education! (Laughs)
You studied to be a dentist but are now a singer. How did it all start?
I have been born and raised in Calcutta. I grew up in Lake Gardens — my family still lives there — and I did my schooling from La Martiniere for Girls. After school, I went to Chennai to do my dental course from Ramchandra University. While studying in Chennai, I met Rahman Sir for one of his independent projects. He really liked my voice and used it for a Tamil film — Shankar’s I — which became a huge hit. When it did well, I was in third year of college and I realised this could be a career option and I started balancing recording sessions with college. It was pretty hectic, but pretty awesome. Once I finished college, I plunged into music full-time.
Like every Bangali kid, I learnt gaan-bajna. I learnt Hindustani classical (music) chhotobela theke and I have also trained in Odissi dance with Sharmila Biswas. It was my teenage dream to be a rockstar! But I was never bold with my life choices and always took the practical route. I was a good student and I thought the bhadro thing to do was porashona! (Laughs) I never thought it would be a viable career choice till I met Rahman Sir. He asked me what my life plan was and I was like, ‘Maybe I will do my post-grad after this’. He was like, ‘What’s wrong with you?! Do music. It’s your thing!’ (Laughs)
Do you still practise dentistry?
Well, I am a licensed dentist and did it for a bit, but then it got a little too hectic for me to do both. Also, it’s not fair to my patients that I operate as a sporadic dentist! Anyway, I wanted to do dentistry more as social service.
People dream of working with Rahman and you have been mentored by him. That must have been special!
Absolutely! I consider myself lucky because I got to see A.R. Rahman the artiste and not A.R. Rahman the celebrity. I got to see him compose songs, I got a feel of how his studio functions and his interactions with the people who work for and with him. He can play so many instruments and he is so good with the latest music software — nowadays, music is so technology-based. He’s very tech-savvy. He’s a crazy, crazy musician.
You’ve sung in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada. Do you take to languages easily?
Initially, it was a bit of a tongue-twister for me, but I managed. For some strange reason, it’s easier for me to sing in Tamil but not speak it. It’s quite cool singing in languages I don’t really understand. I have even sung in Bangla. I have worked with Debojyoti Mishra on a baul song for a Bangladeshi film. Some years ago, I did a Bangla album with my dad… a very passion project kind of thing. It was a Nazrulgeeti album called Kotha.
Going ahead, what’s the plan?
I have been doing more recordings now. I am getting a bigger audience for my music and a lot more people are now receptive to my singing. I want to start putting out originals soon. I am very interested in singing for Bangla films. My surname ‘Gandhi’ puts me at a disadvantage because people don’t realise I am a Bangali. I can speak Bangla and I can sing in Bangla. But thanks to Debuda (Debojyoti Mishra), I have done some Bangla work and he will probably roll me into some more. Very recently, I did a show at Jadavpur University with Bonny Chakraborty… we have grown up in the same complex at Lake Gardens.
Priyanka Roy
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