Gajendra Verma, Aditya Rikhari and Ravator collaborate on the song “Gori.” Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Hindi pop’s favorites Gajendra Verma, Aditya Rikhari and Ravator recently dropped their feel-good song “Gori,” hinting at more team-ups in the future. The song came about when Verma got together with Ravator one day at the latter’s studio. Ravator tells Rolling Stone India, “He composed a hook in 30 minutes. It was sort of a mumbled hook, but the one word that was evident was ‘Gori,’ so the idea started there lyrically.”
Ravator wrote the lyrics in full, and while they were still contemplating the second verse, the producer sent it across to longtime collaborator Aditya Rikhari. “We had a blank verse, and we were very skeptical at first, but Aditya and I were working on a lot of tracks together, so I just sent it to him. Within three hours, we had the song. It was very in-the-moment,” Ravator says.
Although it’s the first collaboration to involve all three artists, their previous projects have played around with a few combinations. Verma and Ravator have worked together on songs like “Adhoore Hum,” while Ravator and Rikhari recently delivered “Sajna Ve” (from the former’s album Sajna). On Rikhari’s album Jaana, Ravator was featured on the song “Sutta.” Earlier this month, Verma and Rikhari got together for a mashup of their hit songs to create “Mann Mera x Paro.”
Rikhari’s advice for artists seeking collaborations is straightforward: “When you’re confident in what you bring to the table, collaboration becomes less about compromise and more about co-creation.” Verma adds, “I’d say: don’t try to outshine or match, just show up as yourself and trust the process.”
As a producer, Ravator says he has a different role and outlook. He uses the instance of “Gori” and points to how Verma and Rikhari both have “very distinct voices and moods.” He adds, “So my role was more about blending their energies without diluting either. My advice is: don’t try to mold people into your sound. Instead, expand your sound to include their essence.”
Ravator says the last six months have taken their vibe to a whole new level. The camaraderie is evident in the music video as well as in our interview with the trio, as Rikhari chimes in with playful commentary between Ravator’s responses, while Verma can’t stop laughing throughout. Verma reflects on how working on anything creative with friends is “always a delicate space, especially when you’re emotionally invested in both the friendship and the art.” Rikhari emphasizes on keeping the shared vision in mind. Ravator adds, “When you’re friends first, it’s easy to take things personally—or to avoid giving honest feedback. What’s worked for me is keeping the communication open and clear from day one.”
In the video, the three artists are living together and find themselves smitten by a new neighbor, quickly becoming close friends who support her goal of becoming a fashion designer. Verma says it “wasn’t a lot of work” on set. Ravator adds jokingly, “We all wrapped our shots in one take, it was fun. Method acting.”
Their process for future collaborations is to keep it as free-form and pressure-free as possible. “We always focus on the end result, and everyone gives their best inputs, and everyone accepts it, which is usually the toughest thing. I think in this case, it was different and, touchwood, it stays that way in our next work,” Ravator says with a laugh.
Collaborations aside, on the solo front, Rikhari promises more “experimental tracks” this year but says he’s also keeping in mind that the touring season is coming up, so the songs will be crowd-friendly. “I have to think that way, ki which songs would people prefer to listen to on a large stage, that people would have fun singing along to.”
Verma adds, “I’m working on new songs as usual, I hope it turns out good. I’m doing an album, maybe. I’m very keen on doing collaborations this year. I loved this one and I’m trying out more.”
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