At 22, Dhvani Bhanushali has become the the youngest Indian pop star to clock one billion views on YouTube, for her single Vaaste, composed by Tanishk Bagchi. A t2 chat with Dhvani, who has also sung for films like Veere Di Wedding, Saaho and Good Newwz.

Congratulations for Vaaste crossing a billion views on YouTube. That’s quite a milestone...

Thank you! You can’t really see such things coming, and for something like this to happen to me at such a young age — I am just 22 — is overwhelming. When I started singing, I always felt ki mere building mein jo log rehte hain woh mere gaane sunn le toh bahut badi baat ho jayegi! (Laughs) My dreams have always been big, but I have also been in touch with reality. I never really thought Vaaste would do a billion views in just 18 months. It’s been crazy... people have loved the song so much!

This achievement becomes all the more significant because my team and I really worked hard on this song. We had a very tight budget... after a point, we didn’t even have money for clothes. I am actually wearing my director’s clothes! But I think everyone had their hearts in the right place, and I will be eternally grateful to the audience for loving the song so much.

I am very happy, but I am also feeling a wee bit of pressure because this is a big milestone and the next song has to be very good. I don’t know if it will do a billion views, but I have to give my audience good music. Vaaste now represents India in a way, and is the only song to be on it. That’s a huge responsibility.

When I started singing, I always felt ki mere building mein jo log rehte hain woh mere gaane sunn le toh bahut badi baat ho jayegi! My dreams have always been big, but I have also been in touch with reality. I never really thought Vaaste would do a billion views in just 18 months. It’s been crazy... people have loved the song so much! SSourced by The Telegraph

What do you think worked for the song and its video?

The song is a beautiful melody and it really touches your heart. Tanishk called me to the studio to hear the scratch and even then, I loved the melody because it’s so simple and the words are so beautiful. Of course, the video complements it. It has a young vibe and is shot at Xavier’s (College, Mumbai). Kids really love the song because it has a simple story of heartbreak and love. I think people have really related to the song.

Did you grow up wanting to be a singer?

I used to sing in the choir in school. But it was always a hobby. I never really learnt it till age 17. I met Himeshji (Reshammiya) and he told me that I have a good voice and I should start working on my singing. I started doing lessons, did a lot of covers and my first playback after that. I always knew I wanted to do something in pop, but I didn’t know how to go about it. Then I met Vinay-Radhika (who directed the music video for Vaaste) and they guided me, and Tanishk also helped me a lot.

Who did you idolise growing up?

I was always a Shreya Ghoshal fan, a Madonna fan and a Beyonce fan... the list is very long. I try and learn from every artiste I listen to. Right now, I am obsessed with Selena Gomez’s album Rare and this song called Unstoppable by Sia. I also like Everything I Want by Billie Eilish.

What’s the plan for the next few years?

It’s going to be pop. But given how much people in India like Bollywood, there will also be film songs. I want to be primarily known for my pop music. I feel that if I sing only for films, my individual identity won’t come across to the audience. Pop allows me to tell my own story and have my own audience.

What’s the pop music scene in India today like?

It’s growing very slowly. There’s still a long way for us to have a holistic industry of our own. We are still too much into film music. But the fact that a pop song has done a billion views shows that there is an audience out there.