Known for her super hits songs including The Breakup Song, Chellamma, Dil Ka Telephone and OMG Ponnu amongst many, Jonita Gandhi needs no introduction. Here, she talks to Sumita Chakraborty about her music journey from Canada to Mumbai, being exposed to a potpourri of music and much more. Jonita Gandhi who paved her journey from self-shot YouTube videos in her hometown in Canada to international recognition has proven her mettle with her effortless delivery across languages and genres. In fact, Jonita was also seen on the famous Times Square Billboard along with Badshah, Yuvan Shankar Raja, and Uchana Amit for their multi-lingual collaboration ‘Top Tucker’ . Recently again she was displayed on New York Square Billboard for her recent Punjabi single NaNa with Mickey Singh. The song has crossed 12M+ views on YouTube and currently, the duo has also released their single ‘4AM’ which is the chartbuster trending on all the online streaming sites. Jonita recently shot her new single ‘Chal Koi Na’ in Hawaii which is winning everyone’s heart and trending on all the Streaming platforms. Here in an exclusive interview, Jonita talks about music, Bollywood and more.
Jonita, I believe you are from Canada but you have sung in so many Indian languages including Hindi, so you have been exposed to a potpourri of wonderful music… How much has your musical journey been impacted by this?
It’s definitely been a blessing! I love experimenting with songs in new languages and genres and having the opportunity to do that regularly has helped me explore nuances that I can carry forward through my music. In a way, I think being exposed to a potpourri of music has helped me develop a unique sound for myself. In the process, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing musicians from around the world, and I’ve been able to connect with music lovers across cultures.
“I love experimenting with songs in new languages and genres and having the opportunity to do that regularly has helped me explore nuances that I can carry forward through my music.”
You worked with some of the biggest talents -AR Rahman, Vishal Shekhar to so many others, could you tell us about that?
I have no idea where to begin, haha. Like I said before, it’s been a blessing. Growing up in Canada, I would admire them from afar – I’d watch them on reality shows and wonder what it would be like to work with them. To now collaborate with them is nothing short of a dream come true. Working with each music director is a unique experience and they all have their own style and ways of working. I’ve learned so much from all of them, not just about music and the process, but about myself and my abilities as well. Whether it’s on stage, in the studio or in a social setting, the experience is always memorable.
“Around that time they had been working on the title track of Chennai Express. He had already seen me on YouTube and asked if I wanted to try the song so my ‘fight or flight’ instincts kicked in and I gave it a shot.”
How did you come to Mumbai and kick-start your career here?
Before I moved to India, I was putting out covers on YouTube. It was a great way for me to get a bit of exposure and validation, which I think I really needed back then. Once I graduated from the university and realized that people were loving my covers online, that’s when I gathered the courage to visit Mumbai and see where it takes me. When I first came to Mumbai, I knew nothing about the industry – I just decided to give professional singing a shot and see what would happen. I had a friend who worked as a sound engineer at Vishal-Shekhar’s studio at the time (shout-out to Abhishek Ghatak), and thanks to him, I chanced a meeting with Vishal Dadlani! I guess the rest is history – he heard me sing and recorded me for a film song that they were working on. When I met him, I found out that people in the industry had heard my covers long before they even knew I was in India.
Chennai Express got you a lot of accolades, how did you get that break?
As I mentioned, my friend Abhishek Ghatak was working as a sound engineer at Vishal-Shekhar’s studio. I went to visit him at work and we bumped into Vishal Dadlani, who had been passing through by chance. Around that time they had been working on the title track of Chennai Express. He had already seen me on YouTube and asked if I wanted to try the song so my ‘fight or flight’ instincts kicked in and I gave it a shot. Little did I know, that would become my debut song in Bollywood.
“From back-to-back touring and almost missing flights, to recordings and shows where I’ve been ill but still performed, to crazy on-site accidents, to extremely heart-touching fan interactions… it has been and it continues to be a colourful ride.”
…Any memorable anecdote in your musical journey that you would like to share with us?
Every day is a new adventure. From back-to-back touring and almost missing flights, to recordings and shows where I’ve been ill but still performed, to crazy on-site accidents, to extremely heart-touching fan interactions… it has been and it continues to be a colourful ride.
“I’m straddling Bollywood film songs, OTT songs, YouTube covers, regional projects, independent collaborations, brand songs, pop singles and more.”
What about the digital platform – are you also straddling the OTT along with films?
I’m straddling Bollywood film songs, OTT songs, YouTube covers, regional projects, independent collaborations, brand songs, pop singles and more. I love keeping a variety of different kinds of projects on the roster at any given time. It helps to keep things exciting and also gives me the opportunity to explore different facets of my craft!
“I think I have a long way to go and a lot more to grow. I’m looking forward to leaving behind a legacy with my music.”
You were the voice for Deepika Padukone and so many leading ladies, do you have any bucket list to sing for any particular actors in Bollywood?
I don’t think I get as excited about having particular actresses be the face of my voice anymore. As a fan of films, I definitely have some favourites when it comes to actors. But as an artist, I get more excited about the music and whether I can add something special to the song / film.
“ I don’t think I get as excited about having particular actresses be the face of my voice anymore. As an artist, I get more excited about the music and whether I can add something special to the song / film.”
Actors have started singing too, what do you think of this?
Yes and I don’t think this is new. Actors are singing too, and singers are acting too. I don’t think that creative forms of expression need to be mutually exclusive. It’s cool to experiment. After all, there is an audience for everything.
“The pandemic has been extremely tough on a lot of people, including those of us in the entertainment industry.”
Do you think you have got your due in the industry?
I think I have a long way to go and a lot more to grow. I’m looking forward to leaving behind a legacy with my music. Let’s come back to this question when I’m retired. haha.
“It’s cool to experiment. After all, there is an audience for everything.”
The pandemic caused havoc in everybody’s life, how did you cope with the lockdown and everything else?*
The pandemic has been extremely tough on a lot of people, including those of us in the entertainment industry. With performances and events coming to a halt, I think many of us found ourselves experiencing anxiety from all the uncertainty. I’m so grateful that I was able to be at home with my family in Canada through large parts of the pandemic. And I used the time to reprioritize self care as well as clarify my priorities. In fact, I would almost say that the time off was a blessing in disguise for me personally.
