In Conversation With Kanika Kapoor

From Baby Doll to Beat pe Booty, her voice is behind some of the grooviest Bollywood songs of the past half-decade. But how did her musical journey bring her to this point? Kanika Kapoor talks to about starting off as a singer, breaking into B-Town, and the secrets behind her amazing hair and skin.

Tell us about the start of your musical journey. How did the passion develop and blossom into a career?

I grew up in Lucknow where I sang as a child artist on All India Radio since the age of 11. I have trained in classical music for 12 years. My guru late Shri. Pandit Ganesh Prasad Mishraji would come home to teach my uncle. I used to sit there listening to him—this went on for two years and, finally, he started training me when I turned eight. I even started doing shows with Anup Jalota thereafter, who is like a second father to me. I never aimed to become a singer, but I always thought I could give it a try. What gave me confidence to even give it a shot was when I won an inter-school singing competition at age 12. That’s when I thought I could do it.

How did the big break into Bollywood come about? Did you ever think Baby Doll would be a successful as it is now?

 Baby Doll kick started my singing career in Bollywood. I’d recently released my YouTube single Jugni. It became an internet sensation and Ekta Kapoor heard and loved it! Just then, I got a call from Manmeet (from the hit duo Meet Bros), informing me that Ekta Kapoor loved it and wants to call me for a trial for Baby Doll. Manmeet and I go way back; we grew up together in Lucknow and he is like a brother to me. When I was recording the song, I never imagined it would be a blockbuster. The song was released much later than scheduled and I’d almost forgotten about it. Once released, things hit off and I was even asked to come promote the song. I still meet people who refer to me as the “Baby Doll singer” and it feels great.

How has life changed post this success?