At just 20 years old, Pragati Nagpal is living the kind of musical dream most artists spend years chasing. Maithili Bachani recently had a sit down conversation with her about her recent song, how she found herself performing as the female lead alongside none other than Himesh Reshammiya and future aspirations; it was filled with candid moments and laughter.
But this whirlwind success didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it began in one of the quietest, loneliest periods in recent memory; the lock down.
“I started singing during lock down, my father encouraged me with a guitar and a karaoke speaker. I was always good at singing in my school choir and inter-school competitions, but lock down gave me the space to really explore it.”
– Pragati Nagpal
Locked in her room, she recorded covers, posted them on her newly made Instagram account, and was surprised at the support she received. Even before lock down, music had been a part of her life in a more casual way. “For fun, I formed a band and we started singing in bars and coffee shops,” she says with a smile.
It’s easy to see why she connects with Geet, Kareena Kapoor’s spirited character in Jab We Met. “I relate to her bubbly energy,” Pragati laughs, quoting her favorite line: “Main apni favourite hoon.”
Her latest track, ‘Chadeya’, is a groovy, young, and infectious song that she was involved in shaping. Working with Showkidd and Diljan, she brought her own twist to the music video concept. “I had this idea of a coffee rave instead of the typical party scene,” she explains. “I wanted to break the stereotype and have the girl ask out the guy she liked because really, what’s the big deal?”
Pragati thrives in collaborative spaces. When asked if recording is more magical or technical, she says, “Technicality is of the essence, but I still enjoy the process. I go to the producer’s place to make the song because I’m not a fan of a closed recording studio, I need the energy to flow and be comfortable for me to sing my best.”
The ‘Chadeya’ shoot wasn’t her only big moment this year. Sharing the stage with Himesh Reshammiya was a career-defining experience. She explains he was very accommodating and collaborative, both on stage and off. “More than nervous, I was excited, an opportunity she calls “magical and beyond my expectations.”
One of the most touching moments was when she landed in Delhi and was in her vanity getting ready and someone told her a four-year-old fan waited outside to meet her. “She hugged me, gave me a cap that said ‘You go girl,’ and reminded me of my own sister.”
Pragati hasn’t released music she’s written herself yet “but very soon I will,” she teases and her ambitions stretch beyond singing. She played the lead in Dice Media’s Away From Keyboard and is set to appear in a feature film releasing later this year or early next. “I never planned on acting, but the project is young and fresh, and I’m confident it will work.”
As for dream collaborations? “Diljit,” she says instantly. “I admire his music and the person he is. I think we could get together and make a great song.” If Pragati Nagpal’s journey so far is anything to go by, that collab might be closer than she thinks. After all, in just a few years she’s gone from singing covers in her bedroom to sharing the stage with one of Bollywood’s most celebrated music icons, and she’s only just getting started.