Exclusive | Nikhita Gandhi on her IFFM Melbourne performance, taking Indian music global and finding freedom in collaborations

Nikhita Gandhi recently took the stage at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, turning what she described as an important “ice break moment” with her Melbourne audience into a lively showcase of some of her biggest songs. In an exclusive conversation with WION, the singer opened up about the performance, the growing global reach of Indian music, discovering collaborators through Instagram and the creative freedom she finds in her studio relationships.

Nikita Gandhi on performing at IFFM Melbourne

For Nikita Gandhi, performing in Melbourne was more than simply another concert. She described it as an important first connection with her audience in the city and said she wanted to make the occasion memorable by bringing some of her biggest songs to the stage.

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“I’m going, I think, guns blazing with my biggest songs,” she said, describing the Melbourne performance as an “ice break moment” with her audience there. She also revealed that although it was a solo performance, the team had added people and elements to make the set more energetic and fun.

The performance has since taken place, giving Gandhi the opportunity to make that first connection with the Melbourne crowd she had anticipated.

Nikita on how social media changed the way Indian music travels

Indian music's growing presence outside the country was another major theme of the conversation. For Gandhi, the biggest shift has been the way people now consume music. Streaming platforms and social media have made it possible for listeners to discover artists without geographical limitations.

She pointed out that many of her own listeners are based outside India, including in Melbourne, Indonesia and the US. At the same time, Indian artists can discover musicians from other parts of the world just as easily.

“The exchange is a lot more global,” Gandhi explained, pointing to the way streaming and social media have changed the relationship between artists and audiences across borders.

Nikita's take on whether Indian artists are being pushed globally enough

Gandhi believes Indian music's international growth is still happening significantly through diaspora communities, but she sees something exciting in the organic nature of that expansion. She spoke about collaborations she has developed simply by reaching out to artists on Instagram — or receiving messages from musicians who have discovered her work.

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For her, that removes some of the traditional barriers within the music industry. “You feel like there’s a connect and you just… don’t have to really wait for someone to introduce you,” she said, describing the process as more direct and transparent. She recalled how Badshah initially reached out to her directly, rather than the collaboration coming through a formal industry introduction.

Nikita Gandhi's experience of working with renowned music composers

Among the composers Nikita has worked with, Pritam occupies a particularly comfortable space. She described herself as “ghar ki murgi” while talking about the atmosphere in his studio, explaining that her relationship extends beyond the composer himself to the wider team of sound engineers and collaborators.

The environment has become so familiar that people connected to the studio have become friends outside work as well. That comfort, she said, gives her the freedom to suggest ideas, experiment and approach sessions without feeling restricted.

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Nikita Gandhi also spoke about her working relationship with Badshah, describing their sessions as fun and informal. She recently recorded another project with him and recalled visiting his home studio. She even joked about filming him during the session to prove to people who criticise his singing that he does, in fact, know his way around a studio.

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For Nikita, these playful exchanges are part of what makes long-term creative relationships enjoyable. She also mentioned working with Meat Bros, where she has recorded numerous scratch vocals despite having released little music with them so far. She described the environment as relaxed and built around camaraderie.