Kanika wants to work with artists globally
She got instant recognition for her song Jugni Ji in 2012 and there has been no stopping Kanika Kapoor. The singer is popular for tracks such as Baby Doll (Ragini MMS 2, 2014), Lovely (Happy New Year, 2015), Chhil Gaye Naina (NH10) and Desi Look (Ek Paheli Leela, 2015). Bollywood, however, hasn’t been as kind as her success might indicate.
“It was quite a struggle, to start with. When I came to Mumbai, I didn’t know anyone and I wasn’t aware how it all works in the industry. I gradually found my way and my whole concentration was on creating music and doing the best that I could and I can,” says the 41-year-old.
Ask her if the Hindi film industry is a tough place particularly for female singers, and she says, “Bollywood is a tough place for anything.” Kanika has earlier shared that she went through a challenging time as an aspiring singer in Mumbai in the ’90s.
However, her earlier foray into singing did not work out, and she married NRI businessman Raj Chandok in 1997 at just 18 and moved to London, UK. There, she gave birth to three children. After her divorce in 2012, she relocated to Mumbai to finally realise her music dream.
“I was a young girl and proud to be a mother. Being a mother is natural and it shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your dreams or doing something that you love. It was difficult but I am proud of all of it,” shares Kanika.
In London, she was a social influencer and it was her hit Jugni Ji with Arif Lohar that served as a stepping stone in the Hindi film industry for her. “I am a musical artist. And I will always be a singer first. I had a YouTube hit in 2012 and that was my stepping stone in Bollywood playback singing. Ekta Kapoor loved the song and gave me the opportunity to croon Baby Doll. And after that, there was no looking back,” she says.
After seven years in the industry, the Chittiyan Kalaiyaan hitmaker is as fresh with ambition as ever. “[I want] to collaborate with several artists around the world. I’m very happy with my career right now,” she says.