Singer Nikhita Gandhi says that her new song, Khud Ko Hi Paake, is a poetic representation of self-discovery and embodies the message that the only truth in life is about who you are and letting yourself be. By Team Viva
Tell us about your collaboration for MTV Beats Love Duet, a gender atypical album. How has the experience been?
Honestly, the experience has been phenomenal. I am so grateful that the new song, Khud Ko Hi Paake, is in sync with the vision of the album. Love Duet has been a path-breaking initiative in normalising conversations around love that goes beyond gender stereotypes. It has given a platform to some of the greatest artists from the LGBTQ+ community to showcase their talent and make their voices heard. I am glad that I got the chance to make a tiny contribution in this journey. It’s a coincidence that this song has the same underlining message that the album wants to convey and that’s what I truly love about this collaboration! I am thrilled to play a supporting character in the music video, telling a touching story of two people who are in love but have been living a closeted life for a long time. I am sure it will be loved by the masses and also help influence perceptions in some way or other.
What was the idea behind the song, Khud Ko Hi Paake and how do you think it stands out from other mainstream songs?
It is a song I composed keeping in mind the internal struggles of someone facing an identity crisis. The idea is to convey that we all have our fair share of beauty and pain in different magnitudes and none of us can escape it. The song is an expression of self-acceptance and embodies the message that the only truth in life is about who you are and letting yourself be that person. It is a manifestation of loving oneself and accepting love in all its forms.
You feature in the music video as well. What kind of preparations went behind the making of it?
When I heard the vision MTV Beats had for the video, I fell in love with it instantly. It’s the story of a couple in love where our protagonist, played by Ivanka Das, is dealing with issues related to his sexuality. It progresses around how the protagonist’s wife supports him through the transition and instills the confidence to love “yourself” first irrespective of how you identify “yourself”, all this while dealing with a pregnancy and the traditional shift of her family life because of her husband’s transition. It’s a touching story of a couple who redefine love and acceptance.
Since Ivanka is a LGBTQ+ activist and a voice from the community, I was so happy to see her involvement and the positive reception of her feedback. The entire process has been extraordinary and it’s one project i’ll always be extremely proud to be associated with.
How do you think music as a medium helps in addressing some of the important social issues in the country?
I feel that art has always been a reflection, and in a lot of cases, a mirror to the society and the lives of people around you. For me, music is a medium of self-expression rather than just being a genre. Music has the magic to create a sense of community, it has the power to bring people closer and will always be the universal language of love, unity and peace.
It has been two years to the verdict on Section 377, how do you think our society has progressed? Is there still a long way to go?
Even though that was one of the most historic days I have had the pleasure to witness, I feel there is still a long road we have to cover. Our society has progressed and we are more vocal about equality for everyone but there is a dark shadow lingering behind the rainbow. I have so many friends and acquaintances who are still afraid of the social stigma attached to it and are living their lives in fear of being outed. It’s the most suffocating thing to happen to anyone. It will take time but taking that first step is important in a journey. Since we have already hit a milestone, the destination won’t be that far.
What are your forthcoming projects?
My debut song as a composer came out last week so the last couple of days have been really interesting. I composed a song for Netflix’s Mismatched and even had the pleasure of singing a song in the album. My first international collaboration with the US-based artist, Rajiv Dhall, came out just a week before we released Khud Ko Hi Paake. I am also working on a couple of singles and collaborations with some amazing artistes and can’t wait to make more music.
Saturday, 05 December 2020 | Team Viva
