Hashbass and Divyam Sodhi’s ‘Ranjha’ Gets into Neo-Ghazal Territory

Among the newer, younger voices in the ghazal space, artist Divyam Sodhi teams up with New Delhi-bred, Mumbai-based producer Hashbass aka Harshit Misra for a calming and comforting new song, “Ranjha.”

The two-minute track came about after Hashbass was introduced to Sodhi via his wife Eesha and was born out of a phone recording the vocalist made at his home in Karnal, lending to it a tender rawness. The lyrics are inspired by the story of Heer-Ranjha, becoming a present-day adaptation where a person moves around in his own way, flowing free in a chaotic world.

Hashbass recounts to Rolling Stone India that his wife knew Divyam via Instagram, where the vocalist has amassed a following for his Reels. “Eesha was a fan of his. When we got married, she wanted a ghazal night, and that’s how Divyam and I met. I fell in love with his voice instantly,” he says.

While “Ranjha” follows more moody, dance music-informed Hashbass projects like Solo At Your Party and “Infinite Worlds” featuring guitar ace Warren Mendonsa, Indian traditional music has been something the producer has previously tapped into, notably on his single “For Anita” in 2020. Always open for a collaboration, Hashbass says about his mantra, “When I am approached for a collaboration I do try to see what their music is, how they are performing and definitely try to meet them to understand the energy and if we can sync together. If we sync well, then I move forward. As a music producer, as a composer I love to listen to new talent. I love to listen to new voices and you know new musicians and it’s always great to collaborate because you know it just creates this new energy which becomes special.”

Both artists describe the ghazal form as “entrenched” and “evergreen” amongst its listenership. Hashbass recalls he was primarily put on to listening to ghazals through his wife and was drawn to how it’s “written from a place of melancholy.” Sodhi adds, “The ghazal has consistently maintained its relevance throughout music history. However, adapting its elements to incorporate familiar sounds found in contemporary music, along with poetry that is more easy to understand, is what has now been incorporated. I view the ghazal as a form of ancestral wealth, serving as a connection to both our familial roots and the legacy of ghazal maestros worldwide.”

While working on “Ranjha” as well as his other songs, Sodhi says his aim is to make ghazal music “more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience.” He acknowledges the barriers to entry – like how some may find difficulty in understanding complex Urdu words – but adds that he’s emphasizing on “emotion-driven compositions” when he selects the ghazals he works on. They are also the ones that “evoke feelings of grief, joy, and love in my own self as a listener,” he adds.

To that end, this single released via the label Misfits Inc is the first of more songs from an EP that Sodhi and Hashbass are working on. The producer says he can’t necessarily say what kind of sonic direction the next material in their collaborative project is taking, but does give us a timeline of when to expect new material. “We are working on a lot of songs, looking at a lot of different directions. So mid-year, end of the year hopefully we will have an EP.” Sodhi adds, “We haven’t decided on the kind of songs yet, but I’m really excited about it! Can’t wait to see how it turns out and it is always a pleasure to work with him so I am grateful.”

Additionally, Hashbass has a “kids hip-hop album” called Baccha Kis Ko Bol Raha Hai coming out via Tiger Baby Records in February. He adds, “It features these two crazy rappers from the Dharavi Dream Project […] Saniya MQ and Kavikaar, two young rappers who just come out guns blazing. I have my own releases coming out, a lot more live shows as well and yeah, a lot of Punjabi stuff. I just want to put out music that inspires, that sends out the Hashbass sound and send out a lot of love.”

Hear “Ranjha” on more streaming platforms here.