Nikhita Gandhi is an Indian playback singer who has worked in Indian films in five different languages. She has worked in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, and Kannada film projects.

She sang as the face of Deepika Padukone in Raabta for the title track "Raabta". Her duet song " Ullu Ka Pattha" with Arijit Singh from the film Jagga Jasoos is a hit. She has sang for many Hindi films including Sachin: A Billion Dreams, Jab Harry Met Sejal, Kedarnath, Luka Chuppi, Sooryavanshi and Tiger 3. She has also sang Bengali and Tamil songs from movies like Leo, Varisu, Cockpit and Kishmish. Her songs "Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe" and "Poster Lagwa Do" also became popular. The song "Jugnu" with Badshah turned out a viral hit.

Personal life

Nikhita was born in Kolkata and lived in Chennai while doing her graduation. Growing up she learnt Odissi dance and Hindustani music for almost 12 years. Nikhita Gandhi is married to A.R. Raihanah, a music composer and producer. The couple has one daughter together.

Musical Journey

Nikhita's first association with A. R. Rahman occurred during an Indo-German exchange, where she was part of a choir that performed with the German orchestra. Rahman then individually auditioned her for a commercial project titled 'Qyuki' with Shekhar Kapur. Her melodious voice impressed Rahman, and he offered her the opportunity to sing for his upcoming film "Achchamundu! Achamundu!" in 2016.

Gandhi's breakthrough came with the song "Raabta" from the 2017 Bollywood film of the same name. She sang the song as the face of Deepika Padukone, and it became a chart-topping hit. Her duet song "Ullu Ka Pattha" with Arijit Singh from the film Jagga Jasoos was also a major success.

Since then, Nikhita has established herself as a leading playback singer in the Indian film industry. She has sung for numerous Hindi films, including Sachin: A Billion Dreams, Jab Harry Met Sejal, Kedarnath, Luka Chuppi, Sooryavanshi, and Tiger 3. She has also lent her voice to Bengali and Tamil songs from movies like Leo, Varisu, Cockpit, and Kishmish.

Awards and Recognition

Nikhita Gandhi's talent has been recognized with several awards, including the Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer – Female for the song "Raabta" in 2018. She has also received nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer and the Mirchi Music Award for Upcoming Female Vocalist of the Year.

Controversy

In an interview, she said- “Music labels tend to interfere in creative content,” which sparked a controversy. She took her social media handles to clear the misunderstanding and said that she had been misquoted. She, in her statement, wrote that her words were misinterpreted and there was a confusion in what she had said and what was published.

Popular Songs

some of her most popular songs:

• "Raabta" from the film Raabta (2017)
• "Ullu Ka Pattha" from the film Jagga Jasoos (2017)
• "Sachin Sachin" from the film Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017)
• "Hawayein" from the film Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017)
• "Kalank Title Track" from the film Kalank (2019)
• "Sooryavanshi Title Track" from the film Sooryavanshi (2020)
• "Tip Tip Barsa Pani" from the film Mohra (1994) (recreated version)
• "Jugnu" from the film Jugnu (2022)
• "Jhootha Lagda" from the film Kapoor & Sons (2016)

Facts

• She likes travelling and playing carrom.
• During her college days, she was the part of the choir troupe of her college.
• She has been trained in Odissi and Hindustani music for almost 12 years.
• Her first stage performance was at ‘Saarang,’ annual social and cultural festival of IIT, Chennai, where she won the competition under the solo singing category.
• She was all set to become a dentist until she was noticed by A. R. Rahman during an Indo-German exchange when she and her choir group was performing with the German orchestra. A. R. Rahman auditioned her individually for an independent project ‘Qyuki,’ which he was doing with Shekhar Kapur.
• In 2012, she released her Bengali album titled, “Kotha,” a rearrangement of Nazrul Geeti (songs composed and written by the poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam), which became an instant success.
• She is an active philanthropist and works for a number of social and environmental welfare programs. She organizes free dental camps and also promotes tree plantation and dog adoption.
• She is a lead vocalist of a 5-member band, ‘Noor,’ which includes Sajith Sathya, Jerard Felix, Godfrey Immanuel, and Joshua Gopal. She performs regularly at concerts and music festivals.
• She has also sung three songs for the Hollywood movie “Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016),” a biographical film based on the life of the Brazillian footballer “Pelé.”
• In 2018, she released her first independent single “Humshakal.” The song was composed and produced by Nikhita herself.