What began as a bedroom project has grown into a 9-year global collaboration. The very first spark came when I connected with an Italian drummer from Paris, Stefano Brognoli, on Instagram. We rehearsed over Skype, and soon I flew him down to Kolkata where, in just 15 days, we tracked drums for all 8 songs. That was the beginning.
From there, my dear friend Sambit Chatterjee joined in, and slowly the project snowballed. I began reaching out to artists across the world—facing rejections, but also finding kind souls who believed in the music. Some were Grammy winners, some iconic names, others hidden gems. Each one improvised, reimagined, and transformed the songs into something bigger than I had ever imagined.
The album became a tapestry of cultures and emotions. I traveled across India recording soloists, blending sounds, and layering voices until the music started speaking for itself—expressing joy, sorrow, anger, surrender, and everything in between.
Kalpana is named after my late mother, who dreamed big for me and always believed in my music. This album is my eternal tribute to her.
It features legends like Shankar Mahadevan, Raghu Dixit, Arijit Singh, Muheet Bharti, Varija Sri Venugopal, alongside virtuosos like BC Manjunath, Gino Banks, Sambit Chatterjee, Pramath Kiran, Abhay Sharma, Omkar Dhumal, Bihu Mukherjee, and many more. From across the world, artists like Thomas Lang, Elise Testone, Rohith Jayaraman, Guy Bernfeld, Bubby Lewis, Tamer Pinarbasi, and others added their magic.
Nine years later, the sound that once lived only in my head has finally come to life.
But Kalpana is more than just an album—it is also a movement. Through it, we are introducing a unique concept: #FindYourCalm. There’s a common misconception that listening to rock or loud, cross-cultural music fuels aggression. We believe the opposite. Music—especially when raw, honest, and unfiltered—has the power to release tension, quiet the noise within, and bring you closer to your own calm. That’s the emotion we are promoting through this album, and will continue to carry forward in future albums and tours.
We showcased 6 songs live at the launch in Mumbai on August 22nd. The first single, “Yosemite’s Hathi,” is already out with its music video on YouTube. The audio drops worldwide on September 1st.