Latest news with #Pankh
News18
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Kaushiki Chakraborty Debuts As Lyricist In Shantanu Moitra's Album Pankh
Kaushiki Chakraborty turns lyricist for the first time with Pankh, inspired by a haunting Kashmir story shared by composer Shantanu Moitra. Indian classical singer Kaushiki Chakraborty never imagined that she would ever pen lyrics. But a haunting Kashmiri tale shook that assumption. It began when composer Shantanu Moitra told her a heart-wrenching story of a young couple whose son disappeared in the troubled state. He also gave her a melody with the narrative, which stuck in her head. 'Shantanu da informed me about a couple whose son had disappeared. He imparted to me a tune which lingered in my mind. The mother's point of view haunted me until it became a ballad. When I sang it personally and after that in concerts, the huge feedback encouraged me," she stated, as reported by Hindustan Times. A Debut Shaped by Emotion and Discovery The emotional experience prompted Kaushiki to write lyrics for the first time. She debuted with the album Pankh, composing two soul-moving songs — Baithi Hun and Tarana. 'Mujhe pata hi nahin tha ki mujhe likhna aata hai (I didn't even know that I could write)," Kaushiki said with modest amazement. 'This is the first time something I've written has been recorded professionally. I never thought that my modest writing could one day sit on the shelf with the compositions of our industry's acclaimed lyricists," she added View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kaushiki Chakraborty (@kaushiki_sings) Although she has been a composer before, writing lyrics felt like stepping into unfamiliar creative terrain. 'There was this mental block — 'I'm just a singer' — but I'm learning to explore other creative dimensions now," she admitted. Redefining Classical Performance Format In Pankh, Kaushiki has also transformed the conventional structure of classical performances. 'Apart from writing, I've redefined the format of a classical performance altogether. It's more of a mix of storytelling and singing — akin to an OTT story format, where I switch between storytelling and music to reach out to people," she mentioned. This is not her first venture into creativity. She wrote all the songs for her album Karvaan in 2015. Pankh, however, is highly personal. The album that was four years in the making weaves together six autobiographical songs into one musical fabric. 'With all the singles around, I had strong reasons to record another album. The six life-story songs form a tapestry of stories — childhood, gurus, love, motherhood — all interwoven like strands. If my life ever had to be compacted into music, this album would be it," she stated. Kaushiki is touring India these days with Pankh, performing in cities that are near and dear to her heart. She feels spiritually home in cities such as Varanasi and Lucknow. 'Travel plans seem divinely ordained. Varanasi's sacred energy and musical tradition permeate my family DNA. Likewise, Lucknow is personally sacred in my life and music and the manner in which its connoisseurs have accepted me," she asserted affectionately. With Pankh, Kaushiki Chakraborty has flown into a new artistic world. From singer to composer to now lyricist, she keeps breaking into new realms — one emotional verse at a time. First Published: August 07, 2025, 18:07 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Singer Kaushiki Chakraborty on debut as lyricist with song Baithi Hun: I didn't even know that I could write
Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty never imagined she would write lyrics, until composer Shantanu Moitra shared a haunting story from Kashmir. What began as a personal experiment has now evolved into a promising new creative path for the 44-year-old. Singer Kaushiki Chakraborty is currently on India-tour 'Shantanu da told me about a couple whose son went missing. He shared a tune that stayed with me. The mother's perspective haunted me until it became a ballad. When I performed it privately and then at concerts, the overwhelming response gave me confidence,' she says. Kaushiki made her lyric-writing debut with the album Pankh, penning the songs Baithi Hun and Tarana. 'Mujhe pata hi nahin tha ki mujhe likhna aata hai (I didn't even know that I could write),' she says, adding, 'This marks the first instance where something I've written has been professionally recorded. Never did I imagine that my humble writings could one day find a place alongside the works of our industry's celebrated lyricists.' She admits the shift required a mindset change: 'There was this mental block — 'I'm just a singer' — but I'm learning to explore other creative dimensions now.' With Pankh, the singer has also reimagined the classical performance format. 'Beyond writing, I've completely reimagined the classical performance format. It's now a fusion of storytelling and singing — more like an OTT narrative style, where I alternate between narration and music to connect differently with audiences.' Kaushiki had earlier composed all the songs for her 2015 album Karvaan. Her new outing, she explains, took four years to take shape. 'In this era of singles, I needed compelling reasons to create another album. The six autobiographical songs weave together life stories — childhood, mentors, relationships, motherhood — interconnected like threads. If I had to summarise my life musically, this album would be it.' About her on-going, India-tour she reflects: 'The itinerary feels cosmically aligned. Varanasi's spiritual energy and musical heritage run deep in my family. Similarly, Lucknow holds special significance in my musical journey and the way its connoisseurs have embraced me.'
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Shantanu Moitra on directorial debut with project featuring Kaushiki Chakraborty: I enjoyed it, open to directing more
Having been a musician all his life, composer Shantanu Moitra has added another feather to his hat by turning filmmaker. He has directed and produced an upcoming docu series on YouTube, which features a six-part, sit-down conversation with singer Kaushiki Chakraborty. Sharing why he decided to turn director, Shantanu says, 'I wanted to become an entrepreneur and a storyteller. I wanted to break this whole pattern of someone calling to offer me a work opportunity. That made my brain start ticking and I thought I want to try something else.' Shantanu Moitra Titled Pankh, his first outing is music driven, as it's a live-autobiography and album on Kaushiki's life. 'Over the years, there have been lots of stories that I wanted to share with the world. And what better vocalist to voice that feeling of mine – that I need to share these stories – than Kaushiki Chakraborty. I believe if you're really passionate about something, then you are the best person to execute it. That is the reason why I took this leap of faith and turned a director,' says Shantanu. As someone navigating music and filmmaking now, Shantanu accepts that there's a lot of commonality and differences between the two crafts. 'Before I compose a song, I have a gifted power to hear the song in my head, which includes the songs I've composed for Parineeta (2005) or 3 Idiots (2009). That's something that I experienced as a director too. I could see it and had a clear vision before I started directing it. That's the commonality. The greatest difference was the turnaround time in the two crafts. As a composer, the turnaround time from the moment I hear my song in my head to execution is less, as I record it immediately after calling the right people for fit. However, in case of a film, there are many departments and people that I am dependent on. And the gestation period from when I have thought of an idea to when I finally see it manifest is huge,' Shantanu ends. Kaushiki Chakraborty and Shantanu Moitra in Pankh Talking about working with Kaushiki, he adds, 'Coincidentally, she is also in that state of mind where she also wants to tell stories and not just sing a song. So, both these things converged and honestly, it's a crazy idea to present a song like we did (in Pankh, with the aspect of storytelling). There are six stories making six episodes and from them come six songs. So this is a pretty crazy idea, especially from a music perspective.'
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Kaushiki Chakraborty and Shantanu Moitra to launch their new music series Pankh on July 11
The idea came on a boat in Benaras. While music director Shantanu Moitra and renowned Hindustani vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty were shooting for the song 'Bhagirathi' from the 2022 series Songs Of The River – Ganga, they realised that looking at land from a river offered a different view. The composer says, 'I thought it could make a great concept for a story. One thing led to another, and we felt we could actually create songs and also tell the stories behind them.' The result is Pankh, an album-cum-web series. It contains six songs sung by Kaushiki over six episodes, which also have her explaining what and who inspired the songs, and how they were created. The series will be released on her YouTube channel and will mark Shantanu's debut as director and Kaushiki as lyricist. 'Baithi Hoon', the first track of Pankh is written by her. The last one, 'Tarana', has also been penned by Kaushiki with help from Delhi-based lyricist Abhipsha Deb. The other songs have been written by Swanand Kirkire, Abhipsha and Tanveer Ghazi. Pankh is being launched with a concert at Mumbai's Royal Opera House on July 11. According to Kaushiki, a 12-city tour is being planned, with some shows in the U.S. later. Shantanu says he has been thinking of recording something elaborate with Kaushiki ever since they collaborated on the song 'Lagi lagi' in MTV Coke Studio Season 2. 'That was more than 12 years ago. As a composer, I knew I could do a lot of things with her voice. We both had ideas on what to do next but couldn't proceed because of our busy schedules. But when we shot 'Bhagirathi' on a boat along with violinist Ambi Subramaniam in the middle of the night, the idea of doing an album occurred.' Shantanu says his experience of working in films with directors Shyam Benegal, Sudhir Mishra and Vidhu Vinod Chopra made him believe all art needs perspective. He adds, 'I didn't want to just put these songs out, I wanted to tell a story. That is where the idea of a web series came from. On a lighter note, because we didn't have budgets, I became the director myself.' Kaushiki points out that Pankh has given her a totally new vision of art. 'Coke Studio was a totally different experience for me because I come from an environment of tanpuras, sarangis, gurus, sishyas, taleem and riyaaz. But one thing I have been taught is to be a good student. If I am put in a new space, I am willing to learn. When Shantanu came up with this idea, I was ready to do something new.' The singer says that moving from a individual space, she began to understand how a group of musicians can have fun and learn from each other while creating music. 'I realised there is no right or wrong in music. It's about expressing yourself and finding your true narrative. If music is a language, the language on its own is not complete. We learn the what and how of music, but not the why. It's in this why of music that we discover many stories. The six songs are about different subjects, but are about things that Shantanu and I have experienced.' The track 'Baithi Hoon' is an outcome of one of Shantanu's visit to Kashmir. 'He met a poet there, whose wife kept staring at anyone who came home. This was because their son had gone missing and nobody knew about his fate. Moved by their plight, Shantanu composed a tune inspired by thumri. Though I had never written a song, I decided to write this one after listening to Shantanu's experience,' says Kaushiki. The song 'Nayi bhor', penned by Abhipsha, is a tribute to four musicians who have inspired the singer — her guru and the legendary tabla artiste Jnan Prakash Ghosh, tabla wizard Ustad Zakir Hussain and Shubhankar Banerjee, also a tabla exponent, and vocalist Rashid Khan. The third episode is about the bond she shares with her father and guru Ajoy Chakrabarty. It is told as a story and leads to the song 'Mere suron mein', written by Tanveer Ghazi. In the fourth episode, Kaushiki talks about her son Rishith, and how she approaches both motherhood and her role as a guru, leading to the Swanand Kirkire-penned 'Chand sakha re'. The last two episodes are about Shantanu's approach to composing, summed up in a complex piece he has created. Pankh features Rickraj Nath on the guitar, Rahul Wadhwani and Archit Shah on the keyboards, Mehtab Ali Niazi on the sitar, ID Rao on the saxophone, Ralph Menezes on the bass, Pratik Srivatsva on the sarod, Vaibhav Wavikar on the drums, Sridhar Parthasarathy on the mridangam and Khurram Ali Niazi on the tabla. Smit Ruparel is the sound engineer. As a director, Shantanu says he kept an open script for each episode. 'I wasn't dealing with actors. So while I had an idea of how each episode should be shot, I let the musicians be as they normally are while recording. Some things happened impromptu. I was more like a shepherd who said this is the direction we can take, and this is the route we should avoid.' Kaushiki says some of the episodes are autobiographical since it's about the life she has lived so far and the way she foresees it.
