Nikhita Gandhi on Sonic Tigress, an all-women music festival that will be held in Bengaluru

Nikhita Gandhi

Singer Nikhita Gandhi's success in Bollywood and as an independent artiste has given her access to events and spaces that have helped her view the world through a different lens. "Because we are performing on different stages, we see so many different cultures. [I had the idea] to create a festival where the audience, lineup, and crew are all women. It is inspired by some of the rooms that I've been in. Often, in the music forums that I've been in, I've noticed that while there may be a substantial number of [female] singers, there are few women technicians, producers, composers, and engineers. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to curate an entire festival that has only women - on and off stage," she says of the one-day festival named Sonic Tigress that will be held in Bengaluru.

Although Gandhi's effort to create a space that spotlights women's prowess across portfolios may be laudable, the irony of the challenges she encounters in piecing this festival together is not lost on us. "My concern is attempting to make this an out-and-out women's festival. It's been quite a task to do that, especially on the technical front," she says, alluding to scouting female technicians ahead of the March 29 festival. "Apart from music, there will be stalls, experience zones, and various other activities. The stage will predominantly be filled with musicians and dancers - it is a music festival in every way - but there will be more things to look forward to. We are also trying to pull in a global artiste. An announcement can be expected in a few days. We've been trying to pick artistes who have different target audiences, and rope in dancers and singer-songwriters who, although not famous, are very talented."

Though she admits that the "patriarchal" nature of society affects individuals in each line of work, Gandhi sees this event as an opportunity to celebrate women instead of "making a cause out of it." "We see a lot of representation of men in our society, especially in the music space. A lot of men end up in their music videos, but not women. People like us, who hopefully are disruptors, plan to change that. It will take a bunch of strong-minded women to establish how we want to be represented."

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