Nikhita Gandhi, who recently enjoyed an afternoon hike around Rabindra Sarobar with us over a chilled bhaanr of lassi, also wanted to spend some time with the friendly strays in the lake’s vicinity. But every single one of them seemed to be cooling off in some shaded corner, away from the scorching sun. We too settled down in a cool, breezy spot to have a candid chat about her three dogs and the unconditional love they offer every day, and why she feels that adopting Indies is important.

Nikhita revealed that her journey as a pet parent began with a rescue dog, who she co-parented with friends in Mumbai. For someone constantly on the move, the Qafirana singer admits that being a pet parent comes with its own challenges.

“It’s a huge responsibility. I practically live in airports, but I make sure there are people to take care of them at home. We make sure that they’re never alone,” she says, adding, “Spending time with them feels therapeutic, especially when you have a bad day. They can sense it. There’s so much love in the house because of them.”

A strong advocate for adoption, she hates the bias against Indies. “All three of my dogs are Indies. Please rescue and adopt them. I believe in giving them a home. They bring immense love, comfort, and healing that changes your life,” she adds.

Nikhita calls herself a Benjabi (Bengali + Punjabi) and swears by how the city continues to play an important role in her journey.

“Kolkata is an artistic city. There’s an ease here, a cultural acceptance of the arts that allows you to dream freely. That will always mould the artist I continuously evolve into,” she said.

From learning Odissi as a child to training in Hindustani classical music, her foundation is unmistakably rooted in the city. The singer never misses her bhar-er chaa, even though she is a coffee person, the city somehow manages to break that habit. Growing up in Lake Gardens, her ritual was to take a stroll by the lake. She also acknowledged the strong presence of Bengalis in the music industry and said she never felt disconnected from the city.

“I have bumped into so many Bengalis in the music industry. We have been singing and dancing since childhood. So it’s a very natural course to enter the arts and to enter the music industry.”

Nikhita’s latest track with Arijit Singh is trending, and that too after he decided to step away from playback singing.

Speaking about her association with the singer, she says, “My first song with Arijit was Raabta from Agent Vinod, and since then, we’ve been part of so many popular tracks such as Ullu Ka Pattha from Jagga Jasoos, Aavan Jaavan from War 2, and more. With him, it’s only about the art – not about the clothes you wear, or your branding – just the art. It’s a very beautiful thing for me – that I get to be a part of his legacy, and that he’s such an important part of mine.”

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