‘Being storytellers makes us a good fit’

Sukriti Kakkar and Prakriti Kakkar

As hosts of the latest edition of MTV Dil Beats, musician duo Sukriti and Prakriti Kakkar channel their inner love gurus to mentor lovers navigating obstacles in their relationships. As '90s kids who grew up consuming the content of MTV, and Channel V, the duo says it was a "teenage dream" to feature as hosts of a show, where their music could also get a platform.

"The makers wanted this edition to be different in that every aspect of it needed to be organic. When you hear us give styling or dating tips, or speak to the callers calling in, all of that is unscripted. We don't know what we will be asked. The stories that are being presented on the show are unconventional, and the makers have really thought things through when presenting eight such stories that are different from one another. There's something in it for everyone," says Prakriti, who, along with her sister, has been interacting with teenagers, and individuals in their early 20s, as they deal with concerns relating to love and life.

Sukriti adds that the issues that they have been highlighting on the show are the ones they've dealt with in their lives. "We came to Bombay at the age of nine or 10, and faced ragging when we went to school too. I have been on the healthier side, and have faced issues related to body-shaming. So when we address these matters, we come from a place of concern. Our school life wasn't all flowery."

An assorted bunch of stories have been curated for the show. "There's a story of [lovers] who've met online, another one is on someone who won't give love another shot, after a divorce, and yet another, on a girl who doesn't believe in the concept of marriage. These are matters that are part of discussion among today's generation. We have always embraced the idea of sending a message via our music. Our first song was about empowering girls, and that's the beauty of our music," says Sukriti.

Prakriti adds that with a musician's job encompassing factors like song-writing, and always having "something to say", they could use their skills as musicians to turn mentors to the millennial generation. "As song-writers, we have an opinion, and we talk to people in a friendly way. We end every episode with a song that's related to the story presented in the episode."