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There is an undeniable attraction and tension when you first start falling for someone, the feeling of being caught in a whirlwind of stolen glances, brief hand touches and sneaking kisses. It is this sense of love that New Delhi-based singer-songwriter, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, captures in her latest collaboration with musician Aman Sagar. The pop RnB ballad ‘Khoya Sa’ has a retro-esque feel to it with the album art also bearing semblance to an 80s music poster. The theatrical representation of the attraction of being in love is made by means of a music video featuring singer-songwriter, Tanmaya Bhatnagar. The video revolves around two women fromsub-urban India straying from the conventional notions of love. Bound in an unaccepting society, their love takes the form of wings that allows them to soar free within the confines.
With sitar, a crunchy bass and guitar, the track fuses elements of retro with the modern. Aman Sagar’s almost funk sound seamlessly blends with Sanjeeta’s melodious voice adding to the sense of a nostalgic retro number with a contemporary twist.
On her first Hindi collaboration with Aman Sagar and the creative process behind the track, Sanjeeta’s says, “ This would be my second time collaborating with Aman Sagar after Red. When he made me hear a demo of Khoya Sa, I was hooked on the first listen. The guitar solo, the disco-esque bass and the sitar is what got me! The idea was to create something that sounds modern using retro elements. We knew this needed visuals and I jumped on board immediately. We wanted the message to be inclusive, something you can groove to, sing along to and relate to. The words Aman wrote are simple and straight forward, which make them memorable.”
I was further curious to find out why Sanjeeta felt the need to drive the narrative around a same-sex or queer relationship. She explained, “The song first came about as a straightforward love song about the way you get slightly obsessed with the idea of being with someone, so much that you’re restless without them. The way we wanted to portray it visually, however, was different. The idea of a queer relationship is still taboo in many parts of the country and we wanted to show how beautifully ordinary it really is. I wanted the idea of a love story to be more inclusive in the Indian context.”
About love itself, Sanjeeta candidly expresses, “Over the last year, I feel my notion of what it means to be in love has changed. Love to be shared abundantly, without hesitation. To love is to comfort, to listen, to not judge, be supportive and most importantly, to respect and be honest. If you love someone, let them be. If you see two people who are in love, let them be, haha!”
Defining her musical sensibility in a sentence, she introspects behind her true purpose for creating music, “To create music that is honest, speaks about what’s relevant and extends boundaries set by genres.”
On a parting note, she tells me what is next for her in 2021: “There’s so much waiting to be released! Songs in collaboration with some of my favourite artists whom I call my friends, a short film where I’m acting, and hopefully, I will get to do more of that. I intend on being present through it all.”
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