Jonita Gandhi is thrilled to be opening for Dua Lipa’s upcoming concert in Mumbai. In a chat with us, she reflects on her journey so far, as she touches upon everything — from fashion to difference between performing in an A R Rahman’s and Anirudh Ravichander’s concert.

I’m excited, nervous... I don’t know how to feel. I have been following Dua Lipa’s music for years; she’s an artiste I look up to. Her growth has been inspiring to watch. Her voice is powerful, and her music is infectious; it brings people together. I know the audience will be coming there for Dua, but I hope to leave a lasting impact with my performance so that the audience ends up seeing me as well.

I am grateful to perform at the concerts of these two incredible artistes. Rahman sir’s and Anirudh’s music and audience demographics are very different, and as a performer, I get to experiment differently in both their concerts. I take both opportunities seriously, and I adapt and mould my performance style accordingly. But it’s more about the repertoire I’m singing than the artiste I’m accompanying. For instance, if it’s a semi-classical or soft song, I may choose to dress and perform it with more grace.

I feel blessed to have sung Vida Karo. The song is extremely unique; it was appreciated for being a breath of fresh air at a time when no other music like that was releasing. I felt that the song was special when I sang it, but I had no idea how much audiences would love it. I was pleasantly surprised to see the song do so well. Celebrating the success of the Chamkila soundtrack, we had a gathering of singers, and a video of us singing the song went viral. It was a beautiful experience to have such incredible musicians singing along with me.

I think I do this every day. But an example of how I used styling choices to express themes and culture is in my music video for Love Like That. We intentionally incorporated a mix of Indian and western elements in the styling to reflect the meeting of both worlds in the song. Fashion and style are a big part of everything I do as an artiste. I’ve been able to use it to express myself more in the recent years. There is so much storytelling and depth that we can achieve when we express ourselves through fashion.

I think Saajan Aayo Re from OK Jaanu. It is a beautiful and intricate piece with Hindustani classical influences. It was one of my most difficult songs to sing in the studio.