Singer Kanika Kapoor was overjoyed when she was given the Special Award for Contribution to the UK-India Cultural Ties at the UK-India Awards 2022, organized a few months ago by the India Global Forum. But the bigger win for the singer was meeting the then-UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, and current Prime Minister of Britain, Rishi Sunak, at the event. As the guest of honour for the evening, Sunak handed over the awards to the winners, including Kapoor.

“I don’t follow politics much, but I have been following Rishi Sunak's work for years, ever since he became an MP. [He brings] a lot of hope. He is an intelligent, charismatic, fair, and non-corrupt person. I was so thrilled to hear he had become the Prime Minister. It was the best Diwali gift,” she beams.

The singer, whose discography includes hits such as Chittiyan kalaiyaan (Roy, 2015) and Da da dasse (Udta Punjab, 2016), has been focusing on independent music in the past few years. At the event, she discussed with Sunak the need to give a platform to British-Indian musicians.

“In the United Kingdom, there is a huge opportunity for Indian artistes. My first song, Jugni ji, was produced in the UK and had western beats. It worked for me, so I thought, why not explore [giving] others [a platform]? At the event, we discussed giving exposure, and creating opportunities for British-Indian and British-Asian artistes in the UK. What struck me was that though he was meeting many people, he was patient and gave his undivided attention to everybody he spoke with.”