HYDERABAD: A song or a brief appearance is often enough for Jonita Gandhi to draw audience attention. She recently appeared in the song "Chichchubuddi" in the film Decoyt, prompting viewers to search for her background.
YouTube covers to Bollywood playback career journey
Jonita Gandhi was born in New Delhi, but her family moved to Toronto when she was 11 months old. Her mother Sneha and father Deepak Gandhi raised her there. Deepak, an electronic engineer who ran a music studio, pursued music as a hobby and performed in shows. This environment influenced Jonita's early interest in music.
She grew up listening to Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Later, she trained in Western and Hindustani classical music and performed alongside her father. Academically strong, she qualified for medical studies but chose not to pursue them due to time constraints, instead completing a business course.
Multi-language singer balances concerts, films and acting roles
At a young age, Jonita began uploading cover songs on YouTube. Positive responses boosted her confidence. Though she faced rejection while attempting to enter a Canadian music programme, she continued her efforts.
She later joined singer Sonu Nigam's troupe and toured internationally. This exposure led to opportunities in Bollywood playback singing. Her debut came with the film Chennai Express, where she sang alongside established artistes. She went on to collaborate with composers including A R Rahman.
Jonita does not limit herself to a single genre and has sung in multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marathi, Urdu and English.
She has performed songs in films such as 2 Love Story, Sarkaru Vaari Paata and Beast. In "Chichchubuddi", she not only appeared on screen but also lent her voice. She has also performed at live concerts and explored acting, though an earlier Tamil project featuring her was not released.
Jonita said language is not a barrier in music. She translates songs into English to understand their meaning before performing. Starting as a YouTube singer, she earned recognition as the "Nightingale of Toronto" and has received awards for best vocalist and playback singer. She has also served as a judge on music shows.
"Confidence in oneself is important. Even if things do not go as planned, one must keep learning and moving forward. Choose passion, not pressure. That is the only way to achieve something," she said, adding that she might have become an investment banker if not for music.