Jonita Gandhi: It’s hard for even artistes to tell when a song is actually a hit

Singer Jonita Gandhi’s favourite songs of hers are the ones which though didn’t become chartbusters, were special in their own ways.

Despite a string of chartbusters to her credit including Dil Ka Telephone (Dream Girl; 2019), Sau Tarah Ke (Dishoom; 2016), Main Tumhara (Dil Bechara; 2020), it’s interesting to see that singer Jonita Gandhi chooses her less popular songs as her favourites.

Singer Jonita Gandhi’s latest single is Main Janoon Na.

“I always pick the underdogs, that were not chartbusters. As musicians, we always feel. A lot of times what happens is, the song that is the most special ends up being least heard. So, whenever I am asked my favourite song, I always try to think of the ones which are little lesser known,” she tells us, adding that Kahaan Hoon Main from Highway (2012), her first song for AR Rahman, “will always remain closest to my heart”.

And what about some good songs that don’t get their due, because of the whole number game on streaming platforms that has become the norm today?

The 31-year-old, whose latest single is Main Janoon Na, explains, “Under the umbrella of commercial music, there is music which majority of people remember. Then there are songs which only musicians can connect with more, or people who are well versed and technically sound. Others don’t appreciate it much. At the end of the day, it’s about how music makes you feel. It’s definitely hard for even artistes to tell when a song is actually a hit today. For me, it’s all about if people are talking about it and saying it is amazing.”

Talking about Main Janoon Na, Gandhi says that the song was created a year ago during a jam session between her and music composer Arjuna Harjai.

“This beautiful song came out of that. I have been working with him (Arjuna) for years now. We liked the vibe of the song, it was completely different then. It was sitting around for a while, and then we realised we needed to make it, and we recorded the vocals,” Gandhi shares.