Nikhita Gandhi on Her Musical Journey: From Odissi and BDS to Playback Singing Across Languages

Nikhita Gandhi may describe herself as an “accidental” singer, but her journey into playback music was shaped by years of training, curiosity and an early connection with rhythm. From learning Odissi as a child to being discovered by A.R. Rahman during her college years, the singer has built a multilingual career spanning Hindi, Tamil and Telugu music.

Nikhita Gandhi’s voice has travelled across a remarkably broad musical landscape. Her Hindi work includes songs such as Raabta, Qaafirana, Kesariya and Aavan Jaavan, while her early work in South Indian cinema included tracks such as Ladio, Theera Ulaa, Neethoney Dance, Don’t Worry Ra Ra and Oru Kuchi Oru Kulfi.

During a recent visit to Hyderabad for a concert, Gandhi spoke about her connection with the city, performing live, learning South Indian languages through music and the childhood experiences that eventually led her towards singing.

Nikhita Gandhi Says Hyderabad Holds a Special Place in Her Heart

Gandhi has a long-standing connection with Hyderabad and said she enjoys returning to the city.

She recalled her college years in Chennai, when Andhra meals became one of her favourite things to eat. Beyond food, she said both Hyderabad’s music and culture have remained close to her.

Having performed in the city several times, Gandhi also looks for ways to make every concert different.

For her, a live performance is not simply about repeating a setlist. The audience changes the atmosphere of every show, making each performance distinct.

Why Live Audiences Matter to Nikhita Gandhi

Gandhi said the unpredictability of live performances is one of the biggest attractions of being a singer.

Even when she performs the same songs repeatedly in different cities, she said no two shows feel exactly alike because each audience brings its own energy.

That exchange between performer and audience, according to Gandhi, is one of the principal reasons she enjoys performing on stage.

Her perspective also reflects the difference between recording a song in a studio and experiencing it with a live crowd. A familiar song can take on a different character depending on the venue and the people listening.

From ‘Ladio’ to a Multilingual Playback Career

Gandhi’s entry into professional playback singing was not originally part of a carefully planned career path.

While studying BDS at Sri Ramachandra Medical College in Chennai, she joined the KM Music Conservatory to continue developing music as a hobby and passion.

It was there that she came to the attention of composer A.R. Rahman. Gandhi recalled that he subsequently began calling her for professional recording sessions.

Her first song, Ladio from I, became an important early milestone and was followed by opportunities in Tamil and Telugu cinema.

However, entering regional playback singing came with its own challenges.

Gandhi said that she could barely speak Tamil at the time and did not know Telugu. She had to learn by observing accents, listening carefully to people and gradually understanding the linguistic and cultural nuances surrounding the songs she was recording.

That process eventually became an important part of her growth as a multilingual singer.

‘You Are a Tamizh Girl Now’: A Full-Circle Moment

One of Gandhi’s recent experiences brought her South Indian musical journey full circle.

While recording Tamil and Telugu versions of Aavan Jaavan from War 2, she recalled feeling particularly confident about her command of the languages.

She described the experience as almost having a “secret language” with listeners in the South Indian film industry.

The moment became even more meaningful when she received a message from lyricist Madhan Karky after the Tamil version was reviewed.

Gandhi recalled that Karky, whom she had first worked with on Ladio, sent her a message praising the recording and telling her that she had become “a Tamizh girl now.”

For Gandhi, the exchange represented how far she had travelled from those early days when Tamil and Telugu were unfamiliar languages.

From Dance to Music: Where Her Musical Journey Really Began

Although Gandhi is now widely recognised as a playback singer, she says her first artistic discipline was actually dance.

She began learning Odissi at around four years old. While dancing, she would also sing along with the accompanying music.

According to Gandhi, the taals, rhythms and bolis she encountered through dance gradually drew her towards sound and music.

Her parents noticed that she appeared to have a natural understanding of pitch and musicality. They subsequently encouraged her to study Hindustani music as well.

Gandhi therefore does not necessarily view her journey as a transition from dance to singing.

Instead, she describes the two disciplines as having developed alongside one another.

Writing Music Has Always Been Part of Her Creative Life

Gandhi’s creative interests extend beyond playback singing.

She said she has been writing songs for years and was composing English-language music on the guitar even before she entered the film industry.

Before she knew how to play the guitar, she would reportedly compose tunes on the harmonium and write sargams over the lyrics to help remember them.

For Gandhi, songwriting is closely connected to personal experience.

She said happiness, loss and other experiences of life can become sources of inspiration, describing the process of writing music as a form of therapy.

Her interest has also expanded into music production and sound experimentation.

Nikhita Gandhi Is Exploring Genre-Fluid Music

While film music has allowed Gandhi to work across melodies, dance tracks, pop and even Gujarati rap, she is now also exploring a broader creative space outside conventional playback work.

She said she is currently writing a considerable amount of pop and genre-fluid music.

Gandhi also revealed that international collaborations are in the pipeline, although she did not disclose further details about those projects in the interview.

Her independent creative work includes collaborations with Shashwat Singh under the name “ShNik”, with Gandhi saying she has also been involved in producing much of that material.

She estimates that only a small portion of the music she has written has actually been released so far.

A Singer Still Has Plenty of Music Left to Explore

Gandhi’s career illustrates how an unconventional entry into the music industry can evolve into a multilingual playback journey.

What began with childhood dance training and a passion for music eventually led to formal musical education, professional recordings with A.R. Rahman and opportunities across Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema.

At the same time, her comments suggest that playback singing represents only one part of her ambitions. Songwriting, production, pop, genre experimentation and international collaborations are increasingly becoming part of her creative direction.