Neha Bhasin: ‘The Biggest Thing that Concerns Me is How Numbers are Becoming the Benchmark of Art'

The Punjabi folk/pop artist and former member of erstwhile band Viva! speaks about the politics of modern creativity, her hybrid musical trajectory, artistic rebellion in the digital age and more

- Nirmika Singh and Jessica Xalxo

Punjabi folk/pop artist Neha Bhasin has had quite the storied run since Viva! disbanded in 2003. For those who experienced their teenage years in the early Noughties, India’s first all-woman pop collective bears strong memories — who could ever forget the days when “Hum Naye Geet Sunaye” played non-stop on Channel V? Now a powerful vocalist and performer par excellence, Bhasin has charted a creative path encompassing India’s varied film and independent music industries. While Bollywood and Tollywood hits like “Kuch Khaas (2008),” “Dhunki (2011),” “Swing Zara (2017),” “Chashni (2019)” and more established Bhasin as an award-winning playback singer, her parallel, independent releases quickly made one thing clear to the masses — she wasn’t going to submit to any of the industry’s stereotypical brackets.