Jonita Gandhi is grateful; feels she is living her dream

Singer Jonita Gandhi is rapidly emerging as a voice to reckon with in Bollywood. Take a look at her discography and you will agree: Sau Tarah Ke (Dishoom; 2016), The Breakup Song (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil; 2016), and Lagdi Hai Thaai (Simran; 2017). “I am living my dream,” she says. “I would do this anyway, and not just for money. It’s been a mad journey in the last four years, and I have got a lot of experience. I’m extremely grateful that I’m getting to work with people I’d dreamt about. My first priority is to get better at what I do,” she adds.

Born in Delhi, Jonita spent her teenage years in Canada. Her first language is, therefore, English, but she has recorded tracks in Tamil, Bengali, and Telugu as well. Asked whether there’s any special preparation that she needs to do, and if she faces any challenges in singing in a different language, Jonita says, “I grew up singing in Hindi and English. I was very young when somebody introduced me to singing in Hindi. It’s fun to pick up new languages.”

“It initially sounds gibberish,” she laughs, adding, “But music speaks volumes; it only depends on the melody and arrangement, not the language. And of course, I get a lot of help!”

A frequent collaborator with music maestro AR Rahman, Jonita has sung songs such as Kahaan Hoon Main (Highway; 2014) and Saajan Aayo Re (Ok Jaanu; 2016) for him. She also accompanies him to various concerts around the world. All praises for him, the 28-year-old says, “It’s one of those things I can’t believe is happening. I get a chance to sing those very songs I have grown up listening to, and that too, with their creator on stage! It’s humbling, but at the same time, it’s a big responsibility. There are millions out there who aspire to work with him, so I am making the most of it.”

Jonita often collaborates with music maestro AR Rahman