Being Authentic Is Almost Like an Act of Rebellion Right Now
16 May 2026 11:13 PM IST16 May 2026 11:13 PM IST
At the HYBE India x Shopper’s Stop event in Hyderabad, singer-songwriter and actor Sanjeeta Bhattacharya spoke candidly about heartbreak, virality, acting after Jawan, and why authenticity matters more than ever for young artists chasing their dreams.
Sanjeeta Bhattacharya
For Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, music has never been separate from who she is. Standing before a room full of aspiring performers at the HYBE India and Shopper’s Stop collaboration event in Hyderabad, the singer-songwriter and actor reflected on her journey with the honesty of someone who has spent years understanding herself through art.
“I have been doing music since I was five,” she said, smiling as she spoke about the role music has played in shaping her life. “Nothing can ever change that because it is kind of like who I am.”
The conversation naturally turned to Jawan, the film that introduced her to an even larger audience. While many know her today for her acting, Bhattacharya admitted that stepping into cinema changed the pace of her musical life for a while. “Music took a back seat in the sense that I wasn’t able to perform as much,” she explained. But the experience also brought unexpected rewards. “I gained a lot of listeners who kind of knew me for my acting and then found out that I am also a singer and songwriter.”
For her, Jawan became more than just an acting project. “I also sang and wrote a song for Jawan, so it was all my worlds coming together into one project.”
When asked the inevitable question about choosing between acting and singing, Bhattacharya laughed before admitting that the answer is far from simple. “Music is my default,” she said. “Acting is a newfound love.”
She described herself first and foremost as a musician, someone who has spent years honing her craft. “If you were to ask me what I am better at, I would undoubtedly say I am a better musician because it is a skill I have worked on since I was a kid.”
At the same time, she acknowledged how her background in Kathak dance may have unknowingly prepared her for acting. “Kathak might have helped me with my expressions and being free in front of people, in front of the camera, on stage perhaps.”
One of the most emotional moments during the interaction came when Bhattacharya spoke about her song Watercolor, a track born out of heartbreak just before the lockdown. “The first few times I performed it, I would literally choke up,” she admitted. “I would be like, I can’t do this.”
Over time, however, the song evolved into something healing. “That’s the best part about writing about heartbreak,” she reflected. “After a while, you normalize it in your head. It becomes something that happened and now you are better for it.”
The discussion also touched upon the changing landscape of music and the growing pressure on artists to create songs designed for virality. Bhattacharya did not hesitate to acknowledge the reality of the industry today.
“There is a huge pressure to go viral,” she said. “People can literally search online how to make a viral song. They’ll tell you how long the hook should be, how quickly the chorus should come in.”
Comparing today’s music culture with artists she admires, she pointed out how attention spans have changed drastically. “There used to be songs by Pink Floyd where the introduction itself is one minute long and people would still listen to it.”
Yet despite these shifts, Bhattacharya believes there is still space for authenticity. “People will listen to what you feed them. Yes, there is pressure to go viral, but there is also a search for authenticity. That’s where I’m leaning towards.”
Her idea of authenticity became a recurring theme throughout the conversation, especially while speaking to young aspirants preparing to audition for HYBE India’s first global girl group.
“Try your best to show who you are,” she advised. “Try not to mimic anyone else.”
To make her point, Bhattacharya recalled an experience from her college days when she attempted to imitate one of her idols during an audition. “I tried to sound like Aretha Franklin,” she remembered. “I didn’t get selected, but the feedback stayed with me forever.”
The feedback was blunt yet transformative. “Aretha Franklin already exists. We don’t need another one. We want to hear who Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is.”
For Bhattacharya, that moment became a turning point in her artistic journey. “It pushed me to find my own voice instead of trying to sound like someone else.”
She believes individuality is what ultimately makes an artist memorable in an industry filled with repetition. “You see so many artists who talk the same, walk the same, dress the same and make music that sounds the same,” she said. “What’s going to make you stand out is you.”
Then came the line that seemed to capture the spirit of the evening perfectly. “Being authentic is almost like an act of rebellion right now.”
Bhattacharya also opened up about experimenting creatively in her own music. One of the biggest risks she took, she revealed, was with a song called Red. “I tried to rap on it,” she laughed. “That was completely outside my comfort zone.”
The track became even more experimental when she collaborated with a friend from Madagascar who contributed a verse in Malagasy. “It was English and Malagasy with me rapping and singing on a hip-hop style track,” she explained. “I had a lot of fun with it.”
Beyond the performances and advice, what stood out most for Bhattacharya during the HYBE India event was the opportunity to genuinely interact with people. “Usually I just perform, get off stage and go home,” she said. “But today I actually got to speak with the audience and understand how they feel.”
As the interaction wrapped up, she left aspiring artists with one final message that echoed everything she had spoken about through the evening.
“Come with no preconceived notions,” she said. “Give it your best shot and be authentic to yourself.”
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