Four students tragically lost their lives in a stampede at Nikhita Gandhi’s concert at CUSAT on Saturday. The incident occurred when sudden rain prompted attendees to rush for cover, resulting in a chaotic situation. Unfortunately, two girls and two boys were declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. Additionally, 64 others sustained injuries, with two in critical condition. Nikhita Gandhi expressed her deep sorrow and devastation, stating that she was “heartbroken and devastated by what took place.”
Here are five facts about the singer:
1. Nikhita Gandhi, born on October 1, 1991, is an Indian playback singer of half-Bengali and half-Punjabi heritage.
2. She attended La Martiniere for Girls in Kolkata for her primary education and later moved to Chennai in 2010 to study dentistry.
3. Nikhita Gandhi’s life took a thrilling turn when she met AR Rahman during a music exchange program. Rahman promised her a song if she received professional training, leading her to join his music college, K.M College of Music and Technology, while studying dentistry. Rahman fulfilled his promise by giving her the song “Ladiyo” in the movie “I” (2014), released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, with Gandhi singing all three versions.
4. She has contributed her vocals to three songs in the Iranian film “Muhammad (SAL): The Messenger of God” and three tracks in the Hollywood movie “Pele: Birth of a Legend” (2016), which tells the story of Brazilian footballer Pele.
5. Apart from her movie contributions, Nikhita Gandhi has formed a band called ‘Noor’ with fellow members Sajith Sathya, Jerard Felix, Godfrey Immanuel, and Joshua Gopal.
Nikhita Gandhi’s talent has been recognized through various accolades. She was awarded the Best Female Playback Singer at the Zee Cine Awards 2018 for the title track of “Raabta” and received nominations for Best Playback Singer (Female) at the 63rd Filmfare Awards for the song “Ghar” from “Jab Harry Met Sejal” and at the 3rd Filmfare Awards East for her Bengali song “Tomra Ekhono Ki” from “Meghnad Badh Rahasya.” In April 2019, she won the Nestle Kitkat Sony Mix Audience Music Award for the Best Duet for “Qaafirana” from “Kedarnath,” alongside Arijit Singh.
