Get to know Dhvani Bhanushali

When the opportunity presented itself for an interview with Indian popstar Dhvani Bhanushali, the first thing I did was Google her. Not being the most regular follower of Bollywood or present day Hindi pop music, I do swallow my humble cookie and admit that I really wasn't aware of her massive popularity. But hey, I'm quite certain a lot of you reading this in Bangladesh come from the same vein of thought.

It's rather ironic to introduce someone whose songs have garnered billions of views and who has over ten million social media followers as if she's new. But gradually it struck me that many of us have enjoyed her hit tracks—some of us may have even danced to them—without realising they were all hers!

"I'd call my music relatable," is what Dhvani said when asked how she'd like to introduce her music. 

"It [relatability] could be about love, could be about yourself. It's [my music] all inspired from life and how I'm feeling on a particular occasion," Dhvani added.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Dhvani first broke the internet at the age of 21 with the release of 'Vaaste,' a sombre song featuring rich acoustic tones. This track marked the beginning of her successful career, making her the youngest Indian artist to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube. 'Vaaste' only paved the way for her future chart-topping hits.

Another one of her bigger hits is the remake of Shreya Ghoshal's iconic 2010's 'Leja Leja Re,' which itself has earned almost a billion views on YouTube as of now. It was also her first single where she wasn't sharing the vocals with anyone else.

However, could a singer really go wrong with a remake of an already hit song?

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

"Yes, you could go a hundred percent wrong. A lot of artistes have gone horribly wrong in their attempts to recreate super hit songs of the past. You must retain the original essence without messing with the core of the song too much," Dhvani asserted.

Her rendition of 'Leja Re' also aligns with her intention of making relatable music. Introducing today's and tomorrow's youth to iconic songs of a previous generation was a big factor when it came to making the song. 

"It was also a heartfelt tribute to Shreya Ghoshal. I really love her and wanted to bring the song back," she added.

Other than 'Leja Re,' Dhvani's collaborations with other artistes such as Neha Kakkar on songs like 'Dilbar' also propelled her to the Billboard Top 10 charts.

Achieving immense success, fame, and wealth at a young age can easily lead to losing oneself, but Dhvani has remained grounded despite her groundbreaking achievements. When she discusses her career and success, her words reflect humility rather than professional arrogance.

"I don't think garnering a higher response from particular songs makes you better than other artistes. It's a mere reflection of what listeners are relating and connecting to at a particular time. Of course it's a confidence booster but it doesn't make you the G.O.A.T musician or anything like that," she said.

"I'm in it for the feel of it, for the pure connection I make with the people who love my music. I'm in it for the process and nothing more," she added.

Dhvani believes that over the years the young girl who started off with YouTube covers, today has matured into a woman and musically has also evolved from having softer numbers to a relatively heavier brand of music. She says she has become very appreciative of herself and things around her. This is an aspect which also played a part in her latest original track of 2024, 'Thank You God.'

"I'd like to share this anecdote that actually happened.  One day during the writing process  [of Thank You God], I went to the washroom and while looking at the mirror, I noticed this one ab line and I was like 'Oh my god this is amazing! I look so good today!," she shared.

Well, the lyrics "Every time I look into the mirror I say thank you, God. You did a damn good job," does resonate with her story.

We wrapped up our conversation as Dhvani had to go for her second soundcheck of the day for a show behind closed doors, which was her primary reason for visiting Dhaka. Just then Dhvani revealed a factoid about herself— her father had worked at the giant music record label company 'T-Series' for 27 years and also served as the President of Global Marketing and Media Publishing.

Nepotism in the arts and entertainment industry is widely talked about, so I asked Dhvani if her connections made it easier for her to achieve success. I also inquired whether she ever faced public backlash for possibly having an easier path to releasing her music due to these connections.

"I'm open about this. I feel you have to make something of such opportunities and I did," she started explaining.

"I turned my life around with the avenues I had for me. I am not going to be arrogant about it but I will be confident about it. My dad worked for 27 years and built a life for me and I'm not going to negate that. I just work hard everyday and try to make good of the platform that I have," she concluded.