Hum dono ke liye Raksha Bandhan pura saal hota hai: Ishani & Hardik Dave

Time of India

2 days ago

Ishani & Hardik Dave
Raksha Bandhan
goes beyond this day for us,' say popular garba and folk singers Ishani and Hardik Dave, children of veteran Gujarati folk singer Praful Dave. They share, 'The only difference when it comes to the evolution of our bond is that during childhood, we used to do dhamaal together at home.
Now, we do dhamaal
on stage.'
Ishani says, 'Although we try to spend Raksha Bandhan together, our schedules hardly align due to our concerts, shows and shoots. But whenever we are together, it is a celebration for us. Sometimes, we celebrate Raksha Bandhan in advance too.'
Hardik adds, 'Our love for each other goes beyond one day. Humare liye Raksha Bandhan pura saal hi hota hai.' In a conversation, the Dave siblings talk about their childhood memories, work dynamics and online banter.
'Our gifting game has been unique since childhood'
Asked about his fondest childhood memory, Hardik shares, 'We were very young, and Ishani wanted a puppy on Raksha Bandhan. I remember running around our colony in Bhavnagar and exploring small lanes. I gifted her a puppy so that she could play with him for some time. She kept him on her lap, and I was so happy to see her. Today, while gifting each other, we give it a lot of thought. Bachpan mein toh chhoti chhoti cheezon mein
bhi we used to get ecstatic.
During childhood, she would indulge in ratting, like talking about me missing school in front of our father (laughs). However, I feel very blessed and fortunate to have a younger sister like her, who makes my life better.'
Ishani adds, 'Our gifting game has been unique since childhood. Years back, when I was studying in Chennai and we couldn't celebrate Rakshabandhan together, I gifted the first cut of Khamma Veera Ne, a song I made for him.
We later sang it together, but the first raw copy was sent to him as a gift. Since Hardik earns well now, I expect a bigger gift from him (laughs)! Hardik has offered amazing support over the years, which included standing up against the world and even parents sometimes when there were discussions about my life and career.
With a protective brother like him, I feel I am always on the winning side.
'We guide each other on how to improve as artistes'
Talking about their work dynamics, Ishani says, 'Both of us have been singing for a long time, and have done shows, but separately.
There are certain areas where both of us lag, and with our experiences and strengths, we often guide each other on how we can try and improve that. Hardik is a brilliant music arranger, so I seek his advice for my shows.'
Hardik agrees, 'Our styles are very different, so there is always a different approach towards music, which helps in bringing a new perspective. Also, we often joke that I have always taught Ishani what to do on stage, and she has always taught me what not to do on stage (laughs).'
'Our online banter is just a reflection of our bond in real life'
Ishani and Hardik often indulge in online banter by tagging each other in memes and joking about each other. Ishani laughs, 'We are real on social media, and our banters are just a reflection of our bond in real life. This is how we have been entertaining each other.' Hardik agrees, 'It all started with some jokes I made on Ishani, which she replied to. And they are not even jokes, it all comes from our real-life situations, especially Ishani's, that are funny.
Now, I get messages from people saying that they are waiting for more of such fun.'