Paushali Sahu releases her first Bengali original composed by Jeet Gannguli

Paushali Sahu has won hearts on the internet, over the past few years with her soulful reprisals and cross-border musical collaborations. The Kolkata born girl, who now shuffles between three cities, namely Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata, has released her first Bengali original with none other than popular music composer Jeet Gannguli. The Haule Haule Piya singer talks to us about her recent release, upcoming works and more.
You're known for giving a retro touch to each of your songs. With two originals in your pipeline, what kind of genre are we expecting?
That is true – the golden retro is my go-to genre. However, with the upcoming originals, I am excited to have experimented with new genres. The first original that has just been released from Zee Music is a Bengali song set to tune by the illustrious composer Jeet Gannguli sir and penned by the very versatile Chandrani Ganguli ma’am, who’s magical pen has belted out soulful hits like Sajna Barse Hai Kyun Ankhiyan sung by Rashid Khan. A contemporary song with richly weaved musical nuances and poetic depth, Chokh Mele Dekho Tumi has the capacity to transcend language barriers among its audience. The second song slated to release this month, is a Hindi contemporary folk, set to tune by the brilliant Shamik Guha Roy.
Your original with Jeet Gannguli has already released, and it's your first Bengali original. What according to you is the essence of the song? How was the collaboration?
Chokh Mele Dekho Tumi is my debut Bangla original and who better than Jeet Gannguli Sir himself to compose it! Anurag Bedi was kind enough to give me this opportunity. Chandrani Ganguli ma’am has weaved her heart-wrenching lyrics around this poignant composition by Jeet Gannguli to create a song of unrequited love. Chokh Mele Dekho Tumi has been structured to sound modern yet timeless, by weaving traditional elements with contemporary sounds.
The collaboration has been a humbling experience. I landed in Mumbai after a bout of severe lung infection and my voice was strained. But Jeet Sir was extremely encouraging and patient and he knew how to draw the best performance out of a singer. Chandrani ma’am was warm and affectionate, and throughout the day of dubbing she ensured I was staying hydrated. It was a wonderful experience to have had the best of musicians and sound engineers from the industry working on the song and delivering their best under the guidance of Jeet sir.

Transitioning from renditions to original, how has the journey been and has there been any particular idea of originals that you had in your mind?
I began releasing my Hindi originals through Zee Music since May 2023 and have not looked back since. It has been a liberating experience to be able to express myself through the music I create while collaborating with the best of creative minds. My idea has been very simple. I make music that I find meaningful; With every original, I try bringing a new dimension that might not necessarily fit in to the current scheme of music. My songs are not made to have 30 sec loops to take the Instagram by fire! If the lyrics are long and deep, so be it – Instead of trying to jam it all within the magic window of Instagram engagement metrics. Catering to fashion is not my philosophy, creating my own style is! The videography of my songs are also conceptualised in line with this thought. My works are the product of the ingenuity of the fabulous teams I have had the opportunity to collaborate with.
What about playback singing? How soon is it happening? What to expect?
The industry has been kind and I have had the chance to release my music from the top music labels of the country. Simultaneously, playback singing is on the cards and I have sung the first dub (scratch version) of a few songs in Hindi and another regional language. All I can say is that I am waiting with baited breath for the final releases.

Take us through your second original that's due for release…
My second original with T-Series is slated to be released this month. It is an enchanting folk song of the hills that embody courage. It is an invitation for your spirits to soar high towards the lofty mountains, beckoning you to embrace life’s adventures with passion and hope.
The words of the song are penned by Sushmita Chanda and I. It is a composition by my friend, the brilliant composer, Shamik Guha Roy from Kolkata. It has always been an exciting process of song making with this team filled with ingenuity and the hunger for new sounds.
The shoot was done over a period of 3 days across remote villages in Himachal in sub-zero temperatures with the unrelentingly fabulous team, headed by Pooja Singh Gujral and director Khushpal Singh. This song took us months to create and I hope we will be giving a memorable experience to our audiences when they watch it.