Bengaluru Singer-Songwriter Saroj Kashyap Releases Stirring, Flute-Aided New Song ‘Nargis’

Bengaluru artist Saroj Kashyap invokes poetic love and nature in her own metaphorical way with her latest song “Nargis,” which comes with a cheery yet somber music video shot in the city’s verdant Cubbon Park.

Kashyap’s second solo single ever since she began writing music in 2020 and had a few collaborations out prior, “Nargis” follows her March release “Dancing With The Demons.” Unlike the mostly straightforward singer-songwriter approach to the latter song, Kashyap – along with producer-guitarist Ritwik Bhattacharya and flautist Arjun MPN (from fusion band Pineapple Express) – step into new territory with a song that balances Indian and acoustic folk arrangements.

Kashyap says she was originally skeptical about adding flute, a suggestion that came from Bhattacharya towards the end of the production process of “Nargis.” She adds, “But knowing Ritwik, I trusted his instincts and [I’m] so glad I did. The track was sent to Arjun and within no time we got it back. After listening to that version, we just couldn’t imagine the track without the flute. Arjun changed the entire vibe of the song. It all fell in place so perfectly, the song title, the album art by Athreya Chidambi and the flute… all of these added so much Indian-ness to it.”

The song focuses on the singer-songwriter’s ideas of love, but she says she “doesn’t really have a story” about it. “Nargis” got its eye-catching title from a draft that Kashyap had written which had a “poetic line around yellow daffodils, butterflies and the works.” She scrapped the lines from the song, but used the Hindi word for daffodils, “Nargis,” as the title instead.

The music video captures Kashyap in her element in Cubbon Park, as created and nudged by filmmaker Sanket Chakraborty. “We ended up shooting the whole thing in less than an hour. Just us sharing some funny anecdotes, stupid antics and chilling at Cubbon for an hour and he did such a good job putting them all together,” Kashyap recalls.

For the artist who continues to upload covers of her favorite songs – from rock bands like Seether’s “Broken” to the Shibani Kashyap-sung “Sajna Aa Bhi Ja” from 2003 to Kannada tunes – the artist says writing her own music was like maintaining a journal. “The ability to strum a few chords felt very empowering,” Kashyap adds. After creating a few song drafts, she knew there was more to it and lowered her inhibitions to begin releasing songs.

To that end, there is more music coming out in 2023, including a “very personal track” called “Bruises.” She adds, “[I’m] still a little torn between one of my happier songs and this [‘Bruises’]. But I intend to put out at least one more this year. Let’s see where the wind takes us.”

Watch the video for “Nargis” below. Stream the song here.