I have a lot to offer as a person and that’s not just a voice: Nikhita

After singing Bollywood hits such as Raabta (Raabta, 2017) and Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe (Stree, 2018), singer-songwriter Nikhita Gandhi wants to explore the independent space, so that people know her as someone who is more than just a voice.

“As a creative person, I think I have a lot to express and offer and that’s not just a voice. In your non-film career, one has to put yourself out and let people see the real you, and not an applied version of yourself. So it’s quite scary, but I’m thrilled to take this journey,” she says.

The 28-year-old recently released her indie single, For Now. The singer reveals that she wrote the song in college, but was waiting for the right time to work on it. “I had written For Now in my first year of college. I used to write songs since middle school but those were songs that didn’t leave the four walls of my bedroom or my mind bubble. I figured it was time to let some of these out!” she adds.

The singer is happy with the recent resurgence of indie music.

“The beloved band and indie culture that we grew up in seems to resurface with the millennials. And I’m excited to be part of this time,” she says.

However, as excited as she is to explore the independent music space, Nikhita loves working in the film industry as well. Her recent single, Sanedo, a Gujarati track, has seen Nikhita try her hands on rapping for the first time. “Sanedo is my first Gujarati song. It was cool to emerge as my rapper avatar NikiG. The response has been great and now I have something to offer to my Gujarati friends who were hoping the ‘Gandhi’ in me is Gujarati,” she signs off.

PHOTO: JON KOPALOFF/AFP Rachel Weisz