WHAT’ S A PIECE OF ADVICE FROM YOUR GURU OR AN ELDER THAT HAS STAYED WITH YOU THROUGH YOUR HIGHS AND LOWS?
One of the most powerful pieces of advice I’ ve received came from my spiritual teacher, who told me,‘ You are not the doer, you are just the vessel.’ At first, I didn’ t fully understand it. But over time, especially through the highs and lows of my journey, it started to make sense on a much deeper level. As an artist, you often feel this pressure to create, to succeed, to constantly prove yourself, but this advice reminded me that my talent, my voice, my presence— it ' s all part of something much bigger than me.
During my toughest moments when I felt lost, rejected, or like I wasn’ t being seen the way I wanted to be, those words helped me reconnect with my purpose. I realized that if I can just be a channel for truth, for divine energy, then I don ' t have to control the outcome. I just have to show up with integrity and authenticity.
And in the beautiful moments, like performing in sacred places or receiving love from people around the world, I’ ve held on to that same wisdom. It keeps me humble. It reminds me that this path isn’ t about ego, it ' s about service through art. That advice is like my anchor— it brings me back to center every single time.
AS A SOUTH ASIAN WOMAN IN A GLOBAL MUSIC SPACE, YOU’ VE HAD TO BREAK A LOT OF BARRIERS. WHAT INTERNAL BATTLES DID YOU OVERCOME TO OWN YOUR IDENTITY ON THAT SCALE?
Owning my identity on a global stage hasn’ t been easy— it’ s required deep internal work. One of the biggest battles I faced was unlearning the need to dilute who I am to fit into Western spaces. There’ s a constant tension: being accepted versus being authentic. Early on, I felt the pressure to be palatable to lean into being exotic in a way that was surface-level and digestible for the West. But over time, I realized that this does a disservice to the richness of who we are as South Asians.
A turning point for me was when my guru told me, you are not the doer, you are just the vessel. That helped me surrender the fear and ego tied to how I’ m perceived. It reminded me that my purpose is bigger than me. It ' s about shifting the narrative. So now, I try to show Indian and South Asian people in positions of power and grace. I make conscious choices like wearing Indian designers on global red carpets not just for style, but as a statement of pride and presence.
The next step for us as a community is to stop playing into trends. We’ ve been aestheticized before through the Beatles and Ravi Shankar, bindis being called jewels, or bandhani scarves being repackaged as Scandinavian. We’ ve seen this cycle. What we need now is control over our own narrative. That means being more vulnerable, more real, and using our platforms to express the depth of who we are— not just the fantasy others want to see.
IF YOU COULD WRITE A SONG WITH YOUR 10-YEAR- OLD SELF, WHAT WOULD IT SOUND LIKE?
If I could write a song with my 10-year-old self, it would be full of raw wonder and fearless imagination. I’ m not someone who believes in going back to change the past, but I’ d thank her. Thank her for having the audacity to believe in herself,
The
12
Score Magazine highonscore. com