Jasmine Sandlas was only 16 when she first began writing songs and today she has a bank of over 100 songs that she has written and composed. Born in Punjab and raised in California, Jasmine now a Mumbai-based singer, made her debut in Bollywood with Yaar naa miley in Kick (2014). The singer has released around 17 songs in the last eight years (singles and Bollywood playback) including her latest Ishq da sutta from One Night Stand. Excerpts from an interview:

You are from California - how did Bollywood happen?
I got a call from Yo Yo Honey Singh and he said he'd love to collaborate on a song. He is such a sensation and it was a beautiful experience to work with him. The first song we worked on was Raat jashan di. Then came Yaar naa miley. On both occasions, Honey sent me a beat and asked me to write something on it. The reaction of fans to Yaar naa miley was phenomenal and I am grateful that it was my debut song in Bollywood. Musically, we share the same energy and understand each other's vision.

Tell us about Ishq da sutta...
The words ishq da sutta came to my mind two years ago, when I was sitting in my garage in California. When I first sang the song for Meet Bros in their studio, it was different because of its slower BPM and hip hop influence. The entire team of the film loved the song. They added their magic and the final result is great. It was overwhelming to see my lyrics coming to life with this song. The energy in the studio was great and I believe that good music comes from great energy.

You have sung for the gorgeous Sunny Leone - did you modulate or work on your voice for this song?
Sunny looks amazing. She has changed her style for this song. No work was done on my voice. It's how I sound naturally.

Since you are also into rapping, does it reflect in your Bollywood songs?
California is heavily influenced by the hip hop culture. I fell in love with this genre and rap music while growing up in the West Coast. Naturally, it shows in every song I write and sing. Ishq da sutta has a rap verse. Raat jashan di has Honey Singh and me, rap battling through the song.

You began your playback singing career with Yaar na mile two years ago. How has the journey been since then?
When the song happened, I was living in California, so I had no idea how popular it was. I was busy writing songs and making music there. For me, it was just one of the songs I had written and sung. I would see the response on the internet but it was nothing compared to what I felt when I landed in India a few months ago. I came here for a travel documentary and I saw the recall value of the song even in rural areas. It has been a fantastic journey so far. I feel blessed.