RAKSHANDA RAHMAN MISHA

It felt surreal seeing Dhvani Bhanushali in person, as I was used to seeing her on YouTube in a 16:9 ratio. While on the sofa, I noticed how refreshing she looked in her white top and blue jeans. She didn’t have any makeup on, nor did she need it. The vibrant singer was recently in Dhaka for a two-day trip, during which she spoke exclusively with The Daily Star about her music and her strong desire to perform a concert in Dhaka.

Dhvani’s path to stardom has been swift. Her 2019 hit Vaaste brought her immense popularity, with the music video crossing 1.5 billion views on YouTube, making her the youngest and fastest Indian pop star to hit 1 billion views on the platform. However, people in Bangladesh mostly remember her for her girl-next-door vibe in her sweet rendition of Leja Leja Re .

Her latest hit track, Thank You God , is also trending on YouTube, garnering 14 million views within three months. Besides singing in music videos, she has also voiced numerous Bollywood tracks, including Psycho Saiyaan from Saaho , Duniya from Luka Chuppi , and Kinna Sona from Marjaavaan , among others.

She enjoys massive followings on social media, with 7.5 million on Instagram and 4.7 million on Facebook. With a large number of Indian youths being inspired by her music, she feels it’s her responsibility to reflect the ideas of tradition, love, and culture through her songs.

“While growing up, we all have ideals we want to follow as adults. Now that I am an adult and making my own music, I try to ensure that my music videos are suitable for families to watch together. I have this wholesome, good-girl vibe, and I make sure it is reflected in my music videos as well. It’s nice to see that youths, particularly little girls, are inspired by my work. As an artiste, I want to positively influence them,” said the singer.

Dhvani’s sudden trip to Dhaka was mostly kept under wraps; she came for a private event. However, she would love to do a ticketed event, hopefully within the next year. The singer was surprised when I told her that she also enjoys a fan base in Bangladesh. She shared an interesting story when asked if she had interacted with fans in our country.

“I did meet some of my fans at the Bangladeshi airport, and when I came to the hotel, they were playing my songs. This is my first time coming to Bangladesh, and I really respect its culture. Although I haven’t listened to any Bangladeshi songs yet, as soon as you leave, I will look them up on Spotify and listen to a few Bangladeshi artistes,” revealed the singer.

Whenever a song has a catchy tune and hook, you can be sure it will trend on Instagram Reels. When I first heard Thank You God , I thought an American artiste might have voiced it. Later on, when I searched for the song on YouTube, I found that many people felt the same and were surprised to discover it was an Indian song.

“One day during the writing process of ‘Thank You God,’ I went to the washroom. While looking in the mirror, I noticed this one ab line and thought, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing! I look so good today.’ I went back to my writing room and shared it with my fellow writers. They were like, ‘Oh my God! This is great! Let’s make a song out of it.’ And that’s how I came up with the line ‘Every time I look into the mirror, I say thank you God.’ At first, I had no idea people would think it wasn’t Indian, but when I went back and listened to it, I realised the hook line might sound accented,” laughed the singer.

Nowadays, Instagram and TikTok reels play a crucial role in opening doors for newcomers who want to expand their careers in music. When asked if this was true for her as well, the singer agreed.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, we all discover music on Instagram or TikTok. Regardless of what we say, I think it is an integral part of marketing, and that’s really important. Otherwise, you might as well play your music in your living room. As musicians, I believe there needs to be a full-term creative effort in terms of visuals and music, and they need to be connected to the whole product. I think a sample fit can be tested on Instagram, and if a person likes the song, they can go to YouTube and listen to it,” stated Dhvani.

My personal favourite song by Dhvani is Mera Yaar . While talking about it, she revealed that this song is really special to her as she wrote it for a boy whom she had a crush on. “I felt like this song was the cleanest way to describe my feelings to someone you don’t know well or would love to know,” said the singer, blushing.

When asked whether she sees herself on the silver screen, she replied, “Of course, I see myself working on films. However, I would like to add that it’s quite different from acting in music videos. Playing a full-length character is really difficult. I am looking forward to an exciting project that might hit theatres this year,” said the singer.

Later on, the doorbell rang, and her crew members arrived. Dhvani’s face lit up as she saw them. I bid her goodbye, feeling a little giddy and happy with the whole experience. I hugged her wishing with all my heart that I would be able to see her perform soon.