The EDM (electronic dance music) scene in India will see burgeoning growth in times to come, say up and coming Bollywood singers like Armaan Malik and Nakash Aziz.
They feel the doors for EDM - a fusion of technology with dance beats - has opened up after performances by international DJs like David Guetta, Paul Van Dyk and Steve Aoki.
With creative visual effects and electronic dance numbers, these foreign names have attracted Indian crowds and built a huge fan following for EDM. Homegrown events like Royal Stag MTV Bollyland, which concluded in Mumbai last week, has however turned out to set an example of how EDM can be fused with Bollywood.
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And this, artists feel, can drive EDM's popularity in the country.
"Saree ke fall sa" hitmaker Aziz says the genre is "evolving every day".
"EDM as a genre really lifts you up. It is just evolving every day. It's directly related to technology. As there will be technological advancement, it will get better. Music with technology has a bright future.
"So, it is but natural that electronic music will be a part of Bollywood," said Aziz, who gave an EDM performance in Mumbai last week as a part of the finale of Royal Stag MTV Bollyland, a multi-city concert that brings the genre and Bollywood together.
Akriti Kakar feels that Indian audiences have become extremely receptive to new genres and sounds. She credits the "internet revolution" for making the world a small place, where "all the genres are getting easily accessible".
"It's very well seen how Bollywood music is transcending across genres and a whole lot of dance music coming from the movies is EDM-influenced," said Akriti, who is happy that it's "growing and will continue to grow".
"Everyone wants to hear new sounds and evolution is expected in everything including music. So, EDM it is in Bollywood, making it Bollywood dance music," said the "Saturday Saturday" singer, who wants to sing "more and more of EDM".
Armaan, who started his adult singing career with an EDM track "Jai jai jai jai ho", finds the genre interesting.
"It's picking up in India. Now, it's not just about international artists. My brother (Amaal Mallik) had composed 'Sooraj dooba hai'. It is an out-and-out EDM song for a Bollywood film. So, we are progressing towards that change," said the 19-year-old, who wants to go beyond Bollywood.
"I would love to do a complete EDM album. As an artist, I am for non-film music as well. I want that to shine as much as Bollywood," he said.
The attempts to make EDM popular are aplenty, but it seems it's mostly the youth that connects well with the genre.
Talented musician Siddharth Mahadevan says people will either love it or won't, but "the genre is going to stay for a long time as you can't take dance out of music".
"It's really new age and I have a taste for it. Friends of my age group like it too. It connects well with the youth," said the 22-year-old son of acclaimed singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan.
In fact, he is excited about his "superb EDM song" in "Katti Batti", starring Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan.
Singer Sukriti Kakar, a big fan of EDM, hails the fusion of the genre with Bollywood.
"Once you mix Bollywood with electronic dance music, it becomes interesting. I would like to do a song like 'Sooraj dooba hai'," said the "Pehli baar" hitmaker.
The genre has picked up so much that even someone like Jasleen Royal, an "acoustic and unplugged kind of person", doesn't mind trying her hand at EDM.
"I am not particularly into EDM for now, but maybe later I will get into it because that's how you evolve...by exploring different genres. EDM is something that you can dance to. It's party music.
"I was not into jazz or hip-hop before. So, you never know I might just do an EDM number in future," said the former contestant of singing reality show "India's Got Talent".
With so many young singers rooting for EDM and the rise of EDM festivals in the country, India seems to be the next hub of the genre.
(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)
