Pandemic has posed many challenges to the entertainment industry, but in some cases it also provided an opportunity to independent music. One among the independent artistes who have made it big in these times is Delhi-based singer-songwriter Kamakshi Khanna, who is the voice behind the single Duur, in the upcoming OTT series The Fame Game.
“It was a voice note,” that Khanna had made back in 2016, which then took the form of a single in June 2021, to be placed in the Madhuri Dixit Nene-starrer thriller. Khanna shares, “The song’s inclusion happened very organically, and it happened because we released the song and pushed it independently. The song is also used in the trailer, which is amazing. It just worked really well for the film because the lyrics really align with what’s happening in the show. Even the lyrics that (composer and lyricist) Sameer Rahat and I have written together — something as simple as Laapata kyun hai bata, tera mera pataa — and the story is about her going missing, worked really well. Initially, it was written from a place of feeling disconnected with yourself and your purpose, and then it fit in a very literal way in the show, which is her going missing and also feeling disconnected… It was such an empowering thing to see the song come to live remotely because it reminds you there are so many possibilities for an artist to work and collaborate from anywhere. I think the lockdown has really taught us all of us to be more enterprising when it comes to being able to work with someone virtually.”
Crediting the pandemic for the rise in independent songs being picked for OTT platforms, the 28-year-old says, “Because of the lockdown, due to pandemic, independent music got a little lucky. So many people started listening to it because so much was being released. A lot of people got aware of this world of music that exists outside of Bollywood and mainstream. Now more and more people are becoming collaborative and supportive towards independent music.”
She has also collaborated with pop duo Parekh & Singh for Chhan Chhan in Kaun Banegi Shikharwati, and with Vaibhav Bundoo for Tere Jaisa, in the web series Kota Factory. And shares that she has two more upcoming OTT-related music projects in the works. “The lines between mainstream and independent music are becoming more and more blurred with time. It’s all about good music now. It’s just about whatever voice fits the mood or story, that is becoming the focus more than anything else. I think indie and mainstream music are not two separate worlds anymore,” says the singer who has performed with Delhi-based bands Euphoria and River in the past.
“Delhi always has had so much happening in terms of art, culture and music. I love the city because it gives you the space to express yourself and be who you really are,” she shares while looking at how the city made her what she’s today as she looks to gain new heights in the tinsel town of Mumbai. Khanna adds, “Delhi has so many nice places to perform. I’ve played new music for the first time so many times at The Piano Man Jazz Club, India Habitat Centre, and I had released my first EP and album Cakewalk in memorable concerts. I’d love to go back and perform there one day. I feel there’s a lot of emotional connection there because that’s where I launched my music for the first time.”
Does she look forward to her music becoming a popular reel background song? “Definitely,” pat comes the reply, as she shares: “It’s a great way to put your music out there. With some of our releases, reels have been a great tool to get your music to reach people in an easy, relatable way. The lyrics that were written with a different intention can be totally taken to fit a context of your own experiences. It’s really nice to see your music becoming the soundtrack of someone else’s experiences… While personally I don’t write music from the perspective of its potential to make a reel background score, but if it happens organically, that’s always lovely to see. Duur is a very cinematic and intense song, and I’m wondering how it will fit a 30-second reel, but I think it does have the potential to become a lot of things.”
Author tweets @siddhijainn
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