Right when Amira Gill heard the scratch version of Badli Si Hawa Hai, she knew it would be a hit. The singer’s instinct was bang-on — the breezy number, composed by Anirudh Ravichander, for Aryan Khan’s maiden web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, became instantly popular among listeners. “I was called by Anirudh’s management team and told that he was composing for Aryan Khan`s series. They wanted a powerful Punjabi female part to start the song,” she recollects.
The song is composed by Anirudh Ravichander for Aryan Khan’s show
Within two days, Gill booked a studio in Mumbai to record the song. She would record different parts and send them to Ravichander’s team in Chennai for feedback, as the composer was touring in the Middle East at the time. The process, she says, was seamless. “I felt the song would be a massive hit because it was already sounding fun and energetic in the demo version.”
Gill might be new to Bollywood, but the artiste’s résumé is populated with independent albums and collaborations with artistes across India. There’s more to her music than just creation. Gill is trained in music therapy from the Berklee College of Music.
Amira Gill
She says that being a music therapist seemed a natural step for her, given her passion for music and her ability to connect with people. “Since a young age, I have been the person that my friends and family would come to for advice. I connected easily with people. As for my musical side, I used to come back home from school, sit and sing songs that I loved, and learn parts with incredible detail for five hours a day. So, I wanted to combine these two things.”
Her four-year course included working with a wide range of people, from children on the autism spectrum to adults. “We also went to psych wards for group music therapy sessions. We did pre- and post-surgery music therapy for patients, who had chronic illnesses,” she elaborates. Even as she continues to make music, Gill says serving through her art will always remain a priority.
October 6, 1982: Madonna began her illustrious music career with the release of her debut single, ‘Everybody’. The song did not enter the Billboard Hot 100.
