Ankur Tewari talks about the idea behind viral hit Khalasi

The viral hit song Khalasi has truly shaped the contours of the soundscape of social media. The song had countless impressions on social media serving as the background score for many dramatic and funny reels on Instagram. Musician Ankur Tewari, who serves as the creative architect on the second season of Coke Studio Bharat, has decoded the idea behind the viral hit song Khalasi.

Advertisement

In a conversation, Ankur shared that the idea for the song was cracked within a couple of hours during their discussions. He also shared his philosophy as a musician and how it finds a strength in a platform like Coke Studio Bharat, and opened up on some of the defining moments from the first season of the show.

Ankur said, “Working on Khalasi was an exhilarating experience, especially with Saumya Joshi and Kausar Munir, who were integral members of our think tank. The ideation for the song unfolded within a couple of hours during our discussions — a process that was both thrilling and creatively charged. Witnessing Achint join the team with his guitar in hand, playing it like a flamenco guitarist, added to the passion we all felt while crafting the song.”

He further mentioned that when Saumya stepped in, he took it upon himself as a challenge to narrate a story of Gujarat that hadn’t been told before.

Ankur continued, “His perspective was beautifully articulated when he shared that India was discovered through Gujarat, the coast of Gujarat serving as the first touchpoint for those arriving from outside India. This resonated as the perfect introduction to the new season of Coke Studio Bharat, presenting the story of a coast that perhaps hadn’t been showcased to the world before.”

Sharing his philosophy as a musician, he said, “One philosophy I really hold close to my heart, which even sometimes bothers my team, is to be honest with my expression and thoughts. We try to be extremely honest with the stories we are trying to tell and not manufacture it like a product.” The second season of Coke Studio Bharat is scheduled for launch on February 8.