MUMBAI: Singer and lyricist Rupinn aka Rupin Pahwa, who recently grabbed limelight for his VYRL Originals single, Koi Nahi with Lisa Mishra, is quite happy with the song, he created. In an exclusive interview with Radioandmusic, the artist speaks wholeheartedly about the idea behind the song, VYRL Originals team and on collaborating with co-singer Lisa Mishra.
Also Read: We wanted to move out of the comfort of ballad spaces, says Lisa Mishra on ‘Koi Nahi’
On being asked, how Koi Nahi landed in his kitty, Rupinn shared, “I wrote and composed Koi Nahi with my friends in March. I found myself using the hook ‘chalta hai koi nahi’ often and figured that it has multiple applications. It was then a process of working backwards and hunting for these specific cute but not so cute moments. The lyrics guided the composition in this case and Nikhil and Srijan wrapped it around in such a global/international sounding production that further helped me distill the message and make the composition crisper.”
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The song has a different contemporary essence when compared to other songs created these days.
The singer, lyricist explains, “All my songs have stories attached to themselves, some present themselves without any conscious effort and all I’ve had to do is just put pen to a paper. A lot of my notes have broken pieces that might never see the light of the day. The hook ‘koi nahi’ is something I use often and thus realised the potential of these two words. It is applicable in a plethora of situations but I chose to make it specifically about the post honeymoon period in any relationship where you really need a lot of ‘Chalta hai koi nahi’s’.”
“So it’s a mix of conscious, researched effort in writing about what resonates with the most number of people and the unconscious involuntary find in Koi Nahi. The vibe, look, feel of the song is fresh. It’s an emotion/feeling I haven’t explored in my music. It’s outright funny in a lot of places which is rare in mainstream music. And two idea of koi nahi – colloquial almost in chalta hai koi nahi and the more personal – tere jaisa koi nahi,” he further added.
Rupinn, who has also penned lyrics of the song, shared the idea behind it.
He revealed, “I was waiting almost impatiently for a friend who was unusually late for a movie, but after meeting her I realised she had her reasons. Before letting irritability set in, I said to myself – chalta hai koi nahi. And then it suddenly took a life of its own where things that make you uncomfortable, cause inconvenience or make you angry – if you just accept them and prepare for them aren’t that life changing and maybe you can even step back and laugh about them.”
Commenting on his experience of co-singing and working with Lisa Mishra, Rupinn exclaimed, “I’d written and dubbed the original version of Tareefan and when I heard a female version of it in Lisa’s voice done so beautifully, as a writer, it was a thoroughly satisfying experience. I knew I could trust her with my composition/lyrics. It was initially a solo project. Vinit suggested we could make it into a dialogue and it’ll be more fun. I suggested I’d like to work with Lisa and they left it on me to convince her and then write for her. It didn’t take much as she was instantly hooked on it. It’s been a breeze since then. She’s an incredible musician and such a goofball like me. Throw Nikhil and Srijan and we just had a blast – starting with writing for her, then dubbing and then finally the video shoot, it was just so easy and fun.”
Further, commenting on his association with VYRL Originals, Rupinn said, “This is my second song with VYRL Originals. I am planning to do a lot more in the coming months. When they say its artist centric, they don’t need quotes on the wall, mission statements plastered all over, but they really mean. You walk in to the office, the vibe is so welcoming, but at the same time, music is paramount. They’ve got a brilliant group of people who are at the top of their game – so it’s serious but without a suit.”
“I’ve known Universal Music head Devraj Sanyal since The Stage season 1. He’s like God who’d make sure his presence was felt even if we didn’t talk daily. I met Vinit who heads VYRL Originals through him. Vinit Thakkar is absolutely remarkable in his grasp of the situation – a business oriented head bursting with creative ideas. The label really takes care of the artists and it begins with him trickling down to every single person in the team,” he further spoke greatly about Vinit Thakkar and Devraj Sanyal.
When asked if he is happy with the response received, the singer exclaimed, “I believe we have great music production, a very light-hearted hummable composition and lyrics that hit home no matter what demographic, geographic location, etc it is. Then we have voices that understand and interpret all that with honesty. Also, actors like Ashnoor and Sunny who look so adorable in the video, the creative design of the video and its execution by Pooja Gujral and Prayrit Seth makes it feel like a dish well cooked. We’ve received so much love for all the above-mentioned aspects. People are loving the fact that it’s clutter breaking. It’s nothing like anything in the market, but still so relatable. People are showering their love on YouTube, IG, posting covers, making their versions on Tiktok. A lot of extremely funny memes have already started circulating. It’s almost a movement where everyone is bringing their own perspectives, experiences and making the Koi Nahi family bigger.
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Lastly, spilling beans on his upcoming projects, Rupinn signed off, “I’m working on new material with Nikhil and Srijan, who are my extremely talented friends/producers who worked with me on Koi Nahi. I’m also looking forward to get into production myself to find more creative expression. I am also writing and composing for other artists as well as I am in talks with other collaborators. There are exciting times ahead.”
