Love, again!

Nikhita Gandhi

Asked to step into the studio to record a song, Nikhita Gandhi recalls her first reaction. "I said, hey, I know that song," she says, referring to the rehashed version of the title track of Ishq Vishk (2003), which features in the upcoming film, Ishq Vishk Rebound. "It was a throwback to my childhood, and I was told Rochak [Kohli, composer] would be dubbing with the original singer [Sonu Nigam] as well. It's my first duet with him. I didn't know if things would eventually materialise, because, sometimes, singers get replaced after a dub, but I got to know that [my voice was being retained]."

Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao in Ishq Vishk

Credits on this number are shared by both, the artistes who've worked on the new edition, as well as those who created the original number. "This film has a new cast and a new story that is unrelated to the original. A lot of composers shy away from recreations because they reduce the compositional elements in the song. But, I believe Rochak took it up because the song offered enough opportunity to compose [fresh elements]. They evoke nostalgia by retaining the hook lines," she says, adding that she has also rendered another song that arrives at the end of the film.

A still from the upcoming edition of the franchise

While the film, starring Hrithik Roshan's cousin Pashmina, Jibraan Khan, and Rohit Sarf, is Gandhi's first "major film of 2024", she has several indie numbers in her kitty. "I collaborated with Badshah and Divine for O' sajna, and dropped a single with Varun Jain. On May 29, another track called Mahasukha will release."