Sneha Astunkar is a Mumbai-based musician renowned for her captivating voice and poetic imagination. Her music uniquely blends pop with Hindustani classical traditions, creating a distinct and refreshing sound. Sneha’s recent track, ‘Mohabbat Baaki,’ that was released on 26th July, exemplifies her innovative approach by presenting a modern take on a melodious pop song. Written by Priya Saraiya and composed by Hriday Gattani, the song incorporates contemporary sounds designed to appeal to younger audiences, making it a monsoon special track to look out for.
Sneha’s versatility is highlighted through her collaborations with legends like Talat Aziz and Salim-Sulaiman. Her repertoire includes popular songs such as ‘Rehna Tu Kareeb,’ ‘Meherbaan,’ and ‘Bas Yun Hi,’ showcasing her ability to excel in both Hindi non-film tracks and multilingual devotional songs. With each new release, Sneha Astunkar continues to captivate listeners, establishing herself as a significant presence in the music industry.
During an exclusive interview, Sneha opened up about her latest track ‘Mohabbat Baki’ and her creative process behind creating impactful music.
Here are the excerpts:
Can you tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind your latest track ‘Mohabbat Baaki’?
I have always liked the space where in the song or the lyrics is about longing.. not sad but a positive vibe longing, and I wanted to make one about it, so that thought inspired me to bring out this song .. & I’m really glad we could make this song in that space so beautifully. The process has been very interesting and Inspiring mainly because it is a collaboration with wonderfully creative people on board like Hriday & Priya .
How was the experience collaborating with Priya Saraiya for the lyrics and Hriday Gattani for the composition of ‘Mohabbat Baaki’?
It has been a delightful and inspiring experience . Right from the first session that we had for the song it has been amazing.. I think it’s very important to have people who can understand and also help you connect the dots of your thoughts. And I am glad with Hriday and Priya we could all come at that level of understanding, support and creativity very quickly which helped us carve out the ideation smoothly.
What challenges did you face in blending contemporary sounds with classical elements?
The main challenge was to keep the modern sound but at the same time not loose the slightly traditional soul of the composition , which Hriday has worked his magic on.
‘Mohabbat Baaki’ is described as a monsoon special. How does the season of monsoons influence the mood and thematic elements of this track?
Yes, it is coming out in this beautiful monsoons and I think it’s the right time for the song to come out because I have always thought of rains as the gift for patience . I wait for monsoons , it’s my favorite season of the year . & I think people who love this season will get this feeling , we long for it for the whole year and finally when it arrives , if feels like total bliss and feels like the longing paid off. So the feel this song carries goes very well with the mood of the monsoons . The music of the song is soothing and calming just like the raindrops and the lyrics that describes the feeling blend beautifully with it & it makes the song a wholesome experience.
Your music uniquely blends pop with Hindustani classical elements. How do you balance these two genres to create your signature sound?
I think it’s important to have the right balance between your strengths and the nature of the music that you’re trying to create . & to strike the correct balance it depends a lot on who you trust to make it sound like your imagination. & that’s when comes the important role of the music production and the person behind it as it becomes his canvas to create & in this song I’m glad Hriday could balance it so beautifully with his wonderfully creative mind and style.
How do you cultivate your poetic imagination, and what influences your lyrical content and vocal style?
I love poetry. It is something I love very deeply. I have always been in love with meaningful, cultured, rich literature. I have cultivated this from my parents who are avid readers. We have so many books of Hindi literature, ghazal literature, Urdu, Sanskrit , English , all sorts of that. My parents are followers of Osho Rajneesh, I too am, so we have a huge library with his books and cds and then all sorts of beautiful books of poetry. I believe reading good literature and poetry brings a lot of wisdom to you than anything else .
Being an artist the rich heritage of ghazal poetry that I read since childhood has influenced a lot in my writing . It has enriched & influenced my vocabulary and also my style of singing .
You’ve teamed up with legends like Talat Aziz and Salim-Sulaiman. What have you learned from working with such esteemed artists, and how has it influenced your music?
Talat Aziz ji is my guru and I have been learning the art of ghazals from him since some years now and I feel so blessed and fortunate to be a part of the legacy he is carrying from Ustad Mehdi Hassan sahab . His teachings have influenced my journey as an artist in a lot of ways . He himself is a huge example of how a true artist should be . I feel fortunate to be learning the intricacies of ghazals art form from him and he teaches with so much love . He is not only my guru but like a father figure to me and I am always grateful for his presence and guidance in my life . I met Salim Merchant sir during my single Meherbaan that’s composed and produced by Sagar Dhote and because of him I could get the opportunity to present the song with Merchant records . Salim sir is a music genius and he inspires new talent and is helping them find their way in independent music and I think it’s the most genuine way to guide new and emerging artists .
Songs like “Rehna Tu Kareeb,” “Meherbaan,” and “Bas Yun Hi” have resonated with listeners. Can you share the stories behind these tracks and what they mean to you personally?
Bas Yun Hi is my first independent single . It’s a very simple , cheerful, upbeat song . It’s compared and produced by Sagar Dhote who encouraged me to also write it and I started writing since then . The highlight of the interesting story behind the song is that it was made in 1 single day . I literally wrote it in 2-3 hrs , he composed and arranged it in the next few and we uploaded it the same day . The song received lot of love and still remains in a lot of people’s travel stories and playlists . It will always be very close to my heart as it was my first independent song that I wrote and sung. Meherbaan was presented my Salim-Sulaiman Music’s Merchant Records . I have sung this with Abhay Jodhpurkar . It’s the first song I have featured in . The video and the making , release and everything related to the entire song has been a memorable experience for me . Rehna Tu Kareeb is a very special song that I wrote and it’s about a feeling of love that you always want to stay very close to forever .
You have shown versatility by performing in Hindi non-film tracks and multilingual devotional songs. How do you approach different genres and what drives you to explore these diverse musical avenues?
I believe in exploring different musical styles not just in the form of experimenting with style of singing but in terms of understanding my musical capacities. I have done devotional & non-film music with a point of view of listening my own sound in different spaces of music genres and I love singing devotional . It brings a genuine joy to me when I sing any kind of devotional music. It uplifts my soul and makes me wanting to sing more of it . I plan to record some more soon.
How has your journey as a musician evolved over the years, and what have been some of the pivotal moments in your career?
I think the journey has been happening on its own till now and now I am actually exploring it with some direction that I got when I started taking it seriously. For most of the part of the journey it was about discovering what kind of space I want to be in musically . Since my natural inclination was towards semi classical music and ghazals I began performing that genre . I would consider Starting learning from Talat Aziz Ji one and two starting my journey with Bas Yun Hi as an independent artist , singer and songwriter as my pivotal moments in career.
How do you feel about the reception your music has received from audiences, especially the newer, younger listeners?
Every month I get my data from audio platforms on how my music has done in the month and I am so glad to find new listeners adding every time to the graph . I am glad that the audience supports independent music as much as they love and support film music . That’s what keeps independent musicians encouraged to keep making good music and I think it’s great to have a community that is equally engaged in building good music.
Beyond ‘Mohabbat Baaki’, can you give us a glimpse of any upcoming projects or collaborations that your fans can look forward to?
I have a couple of singles that will be released soon after Mohabbat Baaki. I’ve recorded a beautiful ghazal composed by Shri Talat Aziz Ji which will be released in September . There are also a few projects that I have been working on for music labels which would be released by the end of this year.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are trying to carve out their own unique space in the music industry?
Follow your gut, instincts & judgments while making decisions about people and opportunities , continue learning and evolving , always keep ears , eyes and mind open to welcome new ideas, new perspectives , believe in collaborations .
Are there any personal influences, be they musical or otherwise, that particularly inspire or motivate you in your artistic journey?
A lot of them . Firstly my parents & my brother Vivek are my biggest inspirations, In the artistic journey I have always looked up to my Gurus, my friends who keep making good music , anyone I can learn from motivates me.
What does your dream collaboration look like? Name some artists with whom you would want to collaborate in the next 5 years?
The list is quite big ! but the highlights are Rahman Sir, Gulzar Ji, Sonu Nigam Ji, Arijit Singh, Bismil.
Read More: Sneha Astunkar Blends Contemporary And Classical Sounds For ‘Mohabbat Baaki’: ‘The Main
