‘Bollywood music is not my skill set’
American DJ-music producer Niles Hollowell-Dhar, aka KSHMR, is happy treading on the indie side of Indian music by collaborating with pop icons Zaeden and King for their latest single, Aawara. However, Bollywood is not on his to-do list.
Telling us why he feels so, KSHMR shares, “I have done a bit of composing for Bollywood films, like the theme for Good Newwz (2019), but I’m more interested in creating dance numbers and music where I have full autonomy.”
The Karam hitmaker, whose father is from India, feels working on Bollywood music is not his skill set. “I really admire the composers who work in that space, but it’s not exactly my skill set. Having said that, my decision could change in the future as I am a big fan of Bollywood.”
Opening up about his collaboration with Indian pop artistes for the track Aawara, KSHMR says, “I had been planning to work with Zaeden for a long time, as he’s been a friend for many years. When I had the opportunity to work with King, who is a mega star, I thought it could be incredible to put these two talented singers together.” Complimenting the two about how they brought the song alive, he adds, “Aawara isa latin-inspired R&B song that evokes a romantic and intimate emotion. I think King and Zaeden’s vocals really brought that out.”
If not Bollywood, what next we ask, and the musician replies, “I’m currently on a world tour, and I’ve been working hard at freshening up my show with new music. In May, I’ll take a break and step away from creating for a bit. For the next project, I’ll be focusing on a deep house EP with heavy Indian influence.”*