Dhvani Bhanushali on her journey from YouTube to Bollywood: 'The hardest part was…'

Dhvani Bhanushali, a 25-year-old singer, went from YouTube sensation to pop queen almost overnight. She went from humble beginnings to a dazzling star in record time. With a repertoire of over 50 hit songs, including the groundbreaking Vaaste, which broke records by becoming the fastest Indian pop song to reach a billion views on YouTube, Dhvani has established herself as the youngest singer to achieve such a milestone.

Her meteoric rise was further accelerated by the success of Vaaste, which propelled her to global stardom, with its music video securing her a spot among the top 10 most liked videos and earning her a prestigious spot on the global YouTube Rewind list. Beyond her smash hits like Dilbar and Duniyaa, both of which made their mark on the Billboard Top 10 and BBC Asian Music Charts, respectively, Dhvani’s mesmerizing voice has become synonymous with Bollywood playback singing, gracing a myriad of films across diverse genres and elevating her status as a preeminent voice in the industry.

In an exclusive conversation, Dhvani Bhanushali spoke about her successful music career, her journey from YouTube to singing songs for Bollywood films and her future aspirations in the industry.

Here are the excerpts:

Dhvani, your journey from YouTube prodigy to pop queen has been phenomenal. Can you tell us about some of the key moments that you feel have defined your career so far?

Luckily, there have been a lot of key moments that have really defined my career so far. One of them is Vaaste hitting a billion views on YouTube. It was my fourth song and from cover to original pop song, it was incredibly successful, I think everyone loved it. I think that’s a big achievement for an independent pop artist. There have been a lot of other moments too. It was over. I think everyone knows the song and in that way, I think I’ve been blessed to see how much people really love my songs. It’s a very surreal feeling when I release something and people give it that much love and connect with me that much. I think I’m really blessed by people’s love.

Vaaste has become a record-breaking sensation, making you the youngest singer to achieve such a feat. What do you think contributed to her massive success?

Vaste has broken records because it's such a beautiful song, that when you listen to it, you always want to listen to it. And of course, you know, the video really helped. It was presented in such a beautiful way. And I mean, I have to thank Vinay, Radhika, Afrafat Mehmood and also Tanishk Bagchi for that. It's just something that's a complete package that you watch and you hear. And even if you just hear, I think it touches you. Every time I perform the song, I mean, I've seen people literally cry and sing those lines extremely loudly with me. And it's such a surreal feeling for the artist, for me. And it's magical, really.

With over 50 hits under your belt, which song do you think best represents your musical evolution and why? Your tracks like Dilbar and Duniyaa have featured on major charts like Billboard and BBC Asian Music Charts. How do you stay innovative and keep your music fresh for your audience?

Dil Bar, Duniya, Le Ja Re, I think they were also on the Billboard and BBC Asian Music charts, and I have to thank people for that. I think I stay innovative and fresh because of the ideas that come to me and how I formulate them. Of course it takes a lot of work, but in a way the brain works in a certain way and the people around me, the people I collaborate with, are also on the same page, and then something like this happens, but again, while all this is happening and people are connecting with it, there is no strategy as such, but we always have a conscious thought of doing something new and fresh, and I think then we put all our mind and work into it and make it amazing according to our sensibilities, and when people connect with it, it's like we give it a check mark, you know it's something that we love, but I always make sure that I'm constantly doing different things, I think it just comes from that space.

Can you tell us more about your recent creative endeavors, including your new music and your big screen debut?

I have a lot of stuff in the works, I think in 2024, and I mean, I can't wait to share my big screen debut, I think that should happen too. And again, there's going to be a new album, and I'm working on a lot of other music. In the meantime, I think you can all just listen, thank you,

My God. And you know, this is my last release and it was incredibly well-received, and I'm just grateful for the way people responded to it, and it was all over the place, and I hope that the things that I do later this year and the years to come will bring the same amount of love for me and my silver screen debut as well.

What trends have you noticed in the music industry recently, and how do you think they will shape the future of Indian pop and Bollywood music?

The trends that I have noticed in the music industry recently and how I think they will shape the future of Indian pop and Bollywood music is that people are very open. Nobody

I think everyone wants to connect with the person, the artist and the whole story. And the Indian audience, I think, has really evolved from where they were before, and I'm really happy about that. And I think it's a great time to get into pop or hip-hop or whatever genre the artist resonates with and it's really going to explode, it already has. I feel like the whole independent side of the music industry is exploding.

What do you like to do in your free time? Are there any hobbies or passions you pursue outside of music?

I think the time I spend away from music is just laying around, playing with my dog ​​and, you know, watching a few movies, spending time with my family. I'm pretty simple, basic. I like to live a very normal life and, you know, spend time in nature and with my family.

Your presence on social media is quite strong. In your opinion, how important is it for today's artists to communicate with their fans on social media?

My social media presence is pretty strong because I'm on social media myself. It's really important for artists today to connect with their fans because I think they want to know who you are outside of your music too, because they want to connect with the whole person beyond the songs. And I feel like this is a great opportunity for us to build that base as well, you

know, to have those kinds of people. It's like an extended family. I think for me, I mean, my dreamers are really important, and I want to, I mean, share the parts of myself outside of my

I make music with them. And I make sure you know that they grow with me over the years.

What has been the most difficult part of your musical journey so far, and how did you overcome it? How do you deal with criticism and trolls that come your way?

The hardest part of my musical journey. I wouldn't say it's hard, but I feel like you have to constantly improve yourself, and that goes hand in hand with everything you do. But if I had to point out one thing that really made me uncomfortable with Radhar, I would just say the kind of opinions and a lot of opinions about something that you say

or you do it, or at a particular event, if you don't feel up to it, this whole constant consistency of being an artist is something that is sometimes difficult, but it's our life, and we're committed to it, so there's no way to get out of it. I think it's just that it took me a while to accept that this is my life. And, you know, all of that is pretty great, but the fact that I have to be there all the time is a challenge and you know now we kind of have a comfort zone around that aspect and that's nice.

How has interacting with your fans influenced your work?

I think interacting with my fans is separate from my work. I like talking to the dreamers. I feel like there's a group of young girls who make really cool edits of me and listen to my songs and are really in love with me. And I really like interacting with them. We also have a group on Instagram. And sometimes, I mean, periodically, I feel like I'm engaging with them. And it just makes me happy. (0:33) Like I said, they're my extended family.

On World Music Day, what are the important life lessons that this art form has taught us throughout our lives? And how can we turn to music when everything seems hopeless?

I think the important life lessons I've learned from music are patience and love. Self-love and giving yourself time to practice and learn and improve, to be there for your art form and for yourself. I think you can turn to music when everything seems hopeless. There's a kind of calm that comes over you. It's like meditation. I don't know how to explain it. You don't think about anything else when you're completely involved and immersed in it. And I feel that and then right after, I feel like everything has settled down and everything is okay, you know, and my mind is calm and I've reached a very pleasant place in my head. It's a very different feeling. I think only musicians know that.

Who will be your dream musicians and singers that you would like to collaborate with this year?

This year, I think I'm really open to collaborations. I really like the artists who are emerging right now. But I also have a list. My favourite is Diljit Dosant. Everyone knows him. I would really like to have the chance to collaborate with him. And Arijit Singh. I also like Sunidhi maam. If the opportunity presents itself, I would really like to do something with her. In terms of pop.

What are your upcoming projects that fans can look forward to? Do you plan to experiment with new genres in the coming times?

My upcoming projects this year are really fun. I'm also venturing into different areas and really experimenting with genres. My album, the next one, is going to be different, more different than Thank You God. And I'm just watching, I just have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of support too. So fingers crossed, let's see how people react. But I've definitely decided to follow my heart through everything, like I always have. And I'm going to be confident in my choices.