Khwaab, Divyam Sodhi. Photo: Utkarsh Masand
Vocalist Divyam Sodhi and composer-producer Khwaab go from strength to strength as collaborators on “Kya Kahein,” a song that deals with the difficulty of finding the right ways to express oneself amid an “overflow of emotions.”
Sodhi and Khwaab have been collaborating right from their days of releasing the single “Bohot Bechain” in 2021. Sodhi says their bond grew over admiring “new, yet honest” music. He adds, “We connected over our passion for honest storytelling. Khwaab’s take on production has always been refreshing and I was always looking to work with someone who’ll understand where I’m coming from.”
Through both its song and music video by filmmakers Pencils & Frames, “Kya Kahein” explores the difficulty of articulating emotions when a deep connection is forged. With visual cues that hark back to pre-digital India, two boys (played by Sodhi and actor Rutwik Deshpande) form a bond while seated on opposite sides of a river, sharing food, stories, and games. As one bids a bittersweet farewell to home, another is left in the lurch. Hailing from Karnal in Haryana, Sodhi felt the video should tell a small-town story.
The song was written during a “reflective phase” in mid-2024, according to Khwaab, with lyrics penned by writer Tanmay Maheshwari. “We wanted to capture that unspoken feeling of love—the words you can’t say but feel deeply. It went through multiple iterations until we found the right balance of vulnerability and simplicity. We wanted it to sound timeless, and once we felt that, we knew it was ready,” the producer says.
With the timelessness, there’s also an unmistakable nostalgia in the sound, bearing Sodhi’s distinctive ghazal-informed vocal texture. The singer says he’s drawn to the evergreen nature of simplicity in songs, which is what drove “Kya Kahein.” He adds, “We believe the essence of a song lies in its rawness—whether it’s a heartfelt lyric, a subtle melody, or a genuine emotion.”
Khwaab adds that while they’re “constantly evolving” to try different sounds, there’s a soft spot they have for “the elegance of old-school music.” The producer explains, “How it lingers and evokes feelings long after the song ends—that’s the kind of impact we strive for.”
“Kya Kahein” follows the duo’s 2024 album Haal-e-Dil, which spawned the millions-streamed song “Piya” with lyricist Likhari. Khwaab notes that the “dream project” of the album allowed them to become really good friends and continue building on its legacy. They also went on a country-wide tour as part of the gig series Darkroom Sessions in November 2024, previewing Haal-e-Dil prior to its release. Khwaab says, “We’re just getting started! We’ve been playing live gigs all across the country and to hear people sing songs back to us, feels amazing!”
After a few shows in Mumbai and New Delhi earlier this year, Sodhi and Khwaab perform in Bengaluru on May 10. The writing, of course, never stops between the duo. Sodhi says, “We’re working on new music constantly and want to be able to perform our music to a large audience across India. Hopefully, we’ll be able to take our live set to more cities in India and music festivals around the world!”
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