Aishwarya Majmudar on her single Nazaara: It’s a playful way of smashing the pat

Forget the coy glances and the tradition of not seeing the groom until reaching the mandap. Singer Aishwarya Majmudar’s latest single, Nazaara — The Shaadi, subverts the customs and rituals of a traditional Indian wedding. Her playful number tells the story of a bride who shows up at the groom’s doorstep before the wedding, demanding a peek at him before the rituals begin. 

“It’s a playful way of smashing the patriarchy,” the singer tells us with a laugh, before adding, “Brides today have inspired me to flip the script. Earlier, brides used to be shy and submissive. The way women have taken on patriarchal rituals and taken charge of their lives has inspired me to make this song.”

For Majmudar, Nazaara — which she created with Harpreet ‘Nikku’ — reflects the change in the power dynamics of love itself. “I made this song with a bunch of friends. I feel it’s the new-age bride’s entry song. It’s a tradition that the bride and groom can’t see each other, but in this song we break that thought,” she asserts.

The singer, who lent her voice to Aaj Unse Kehna Hai in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) and Tere Bin Nahi Laage in Ek Paheli Leela (2013), now juggles her independent music and regional film songs. Having recently voiced the devotional number, Radhe Radhe, she believes every track is an opportunity to redefine what she can do with her skill set. “Indian classical music is the foundation on which I base everything I do in my career. I was born in a family that respects its musical roots. Today, musicians like us have the opportunity to fuse our culture with music [of other] countries.”