Insta and FB find new amateur musical stars in lockdown

Kushal Sethi and Drishti Anand

Real estate professional; baker » New Delhi

I had always wanted to be a musician, but I wasn't making any money. My parents suggested I do something different, which is how I got into real estate. But the lockdown changed it all. I was jobless, and here I am, back into music," says Kushal Sethi. The self-taught singer based in Delhi went from 140 followers to almost 12,000, thanks to eight videos that presented him and wife Drishti's ingenuity. The couple, both 29, dress in coordinated outfits, with sunglasses on, and make viral Instagram content. Kushal sings and plays the guitar; Drishti sits by his side, keeping rhythm. "I don't have musical training; I like listening to music. We rehearse a lot before we make the video. I am happy to see him motivated about his music again," says Drishti, as Kushal laughs, "It was either Drishti or my mom [to feature in the videos]! But she has a great musicality, and it has worked for us."

Like them, couples are using idle time to connect with each other and make binge-worthy content in lockdown. What's common to them all is the opportunity to revisit their original passion.

While scouting the net, it's surprising how many couples are singing together, from Bollywood classics to new favourites and even spiritual hymns. They were in sync, and in love.

Padmanabhan NS and Ananya Bhowmik

Spotify India's Artists & Label Partnerships Head; homemaker and musician » Mumbai

Spotify India's Artists and Label Partnerships Head, Padmanabhan NS, and wife, musician Ananya Bhowmick, have loved to sing together, putting up a few videos in the past few years. But the lockdown got them up and running. Paddy [Padmanabhan] is part of his band, One Night Stand, and Bhowmick is a classically-trained singer who was touring the country till a few years ago, before the birth of their daughter. "The four hours that go into sitting down to rehearse, fighting over which song to do, then finally recording, is the best time we spend together. Our music choices are also very different - I am a rock and roll man and she is into classical music," says Paddy. Their songs have ranged from the bhajan Mhaaro pranaam and Mohammed Rafi's Kya hua tera vada to Anand Bakshi's Raina beeti jaye. As Paddy says, "Since Ananya is classical-trained, this time, I have actually worked on the minutest techniques. I have got better with my playing, I had almost stopped playing guitar in 2015. Bhowmick says that the appreciation that comes via Facebook for their videos, some of which feature their eight-year-old prodigious daughter, has been motivation enough. "You know, I wanted to get rid of my fear of judgement - especially since I had stopped singing. Now, we will keep at this."

Ajay Kumar and Arti Singh

Lawyer; homemaker » Ghaziabad

Some others are seeing this as a chance to return to their youth, and the passions they once nursed. Ghaziabad-based advocate Ajay Kumar Singh and wife Arti Singh, were singers before they got married 33 years ago. "We had an arranged marriage and didn't know that we shared a passion for singing. We started performing for local events, but then life took over," says Ajay over the phone. Now, during lockdown, as they have had no work to do, or relatives to visit, they finally started using the karaoke machine their eldest daughter Akriti gifted them last year. With the younger kids, musician Abhiruchi and son Avijit, playing the roles of camera persons, they now sing Bollywood classics and put them up on YouTube and Facebook. "For the last video, Sham e gham ki kasam, dad wanted to make an entry like Dilip Kumar, and insisted the video was in black and white. They make a list of celebrity birthdays and pay musical tributes," says Abhiruchi. Arti is sure they won't stop even when the lockdown lifts. "The comments have been overwhelming." For Ajay, it's about spending time with his wife. "If we can bring a smile to a face with our song, that's perfect."

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