Akriti Kakar, who was recently in the capital to perform at a wedding, loves Delhi and Delhiites. “Dilliwallahs know how to party, how to celebrate; they do it in style, with a great amount of panache and flamboyance,” she says. Being a Dilli wali kudi, performing at a Delhi wedding was a lot of fun. Talking about it, she says, “People here enjoy all genres of music – be it Punjabi, Indie, filmi, or the current UK vibe that is trending in the music industry.”

Having recorded her first Odiya song recently, the Iski Uski singer, who has sung songs in Bangla and Marathi, too, says that it’s important for artistes to push their boundaries. “Not just language, but going beyond personal rendition style is also important for us singers. There’s so much competition today, and to stay relevant, one needs to constantly reinvent themselves.”

Akriti feels that the past two years have played a key role in making the audience more self-aware. “Experimenting and thinking out of the box is important to stay relevant, as the audience is ready for new things,” she adds.

“Independent music is a personal expression of who an artiste is, and it contributes greatly to making Indian music shine at the global level,” says the singer, who has Thomkiya Thomkiya, Payal to her credit. She adds, “Singers have waited to add ‘indie’ before their name, now they are not scared of making independent music along with being a playback singer. Indie artistes like Prateek Kuhad and Ritviz never took the Bollywood route and still have a huge following.”

She admits being scared before entering the indie music scene, but the wave is changing now, she says. “It’s challenging, but it is great that I’m independently making music and releasing it myself,” she adds.

Many singers, including Akriti, voiced their concerns regarding safety at events and concerts after KK’s death. She says, “I hope the change comes about. If the biggest artistes in the country lay a mandate, then life can become better for artistes who are just starting out.”

As she shares her learnings from this unfortunate incident, she says, “We must take care of our bodies. We love our work so much that we put our health on the backseat. When I step on stage, all weakness leaves my body. Kahin se koi taakat aati hai aur hum kar lete hain. It’s because music is my passion. KK let his passion supersede his health that day. As artistes, we let this happen many times.”

Talking about her future plans, the singer says, “Thankfully, concerts have been a beautiful constant in my life. Having started from Delhi, and then moving to Mumbai, which are both home to me, I feel immense gratitude that I am getting to perform for people across the globe,” she says while hinting at creating more independent music. “Things that I am not able to do in movies, I’ll do them myself,” she adds.