The Evolution of Music: Surabhi Dashputra's Journey from Classical to Contemporary

Surabhi Dashputra’s music path isn't a straight line. It doesn't move neatly from classical training straight into contemporary reinvention. It feels more like a raag slowly unfolding, phrase by careful phrase. There’s the strict discipline of the gurukul . The inheritance of a Maharashtrian home steeped in music. The emotional anchor of a father who just believed in her voice. Then there was the early immersion in Suresh Wadkar’s world of riyaz . And then, years later, the surprising ease with which Punjabi slipped into her artistic vocabulary. Nothing about this whole journey feels abrupt. Even the big leaps carry the memory of where she started.

It was about arranging yourself. Riyaz stopped being a routine. It became a temperament. That grounding stuck with her. It carried her through ghazals, devotional music, semi-classical stuff, film collaborations, independent releases, and now that vibrant Punjabi pop track, Ludhiyane Waleya , with Arjuna Harjai. The song sounds full of youthful confidence, a global pulse. But underneath all that looseness, there’s that quiet discipline of a voice that knows exactly where it comes from.

In a chat with News18 Showsha, she talked about those years in Wadkar ji’s guidance. Why Raag Yaman still sticks to her father’s faith in her voice. And how Punjabi never felt foreign, even with that deep Maharashtrian classical background. She mentioned working with Arjuna Harjai, the emotional shift behind songs like More Sajan , Rahiya Ve , and Dil Vich Rab . She also spoke about being a creative assistant on screen projects— Guddu Engineer , Prisoners of War . That work changed how she saw sound, how stories are told, and her own solo music.

Here are some bits from that conversation.

• You started in Wadkar ji’s gurukul in 2005. You spent years doing that traditional riyaz . Looking back, what one thing from that intense, almost monastic environment still feels most radical in today’s music world, all those algorithms and trends?
• The biggest lesson was that riyaz isn’t just practice. It’s a way of living. At the gurukul, music was woven into every moment. Even now, when everything moves so fast, chasing trends, that calm, focused approach? It keeps me grounded.
• You talked about your father’s support making singing possible. If you could thank him with one raag, one line from your repertoire, which would it be, and why does that piece still feel like the truest thanks?
• I’d pick Raag Yaman. My father loved hearing me sing Yaman from the very start. It’s the raag where he first felt, “My daughter can really sing.” Or maybe the lullaby my mother sang to me as a baby—a Yaman chhota khayal , “Sadashiv bhaj manaa.” Yaman just feels like home. The purest way to thank him.
• It just felt natural. My school management was Punjabi. I’d had it as a subject since childhood. The language always felt sweet, it just came to mind. I loved the phonetics of Punjabi. I was singing Punjabi songs long before I even started professionally. I met Arjuna Harjai in the gurukul. Through him, I heard so much more Punjabi music. So, it just felt familiar.
• Ludhiyane Waleya celebrates hometown pride, confidence. But it still carries that quiet restraint from the classical training. What was that internal conversation you had with your own voice before letting it loosen up into that vibrant Punjabi space?
• I told myself, “Don’t let technique become tension.” Classical training is strict. Punjabi pop is free. So I decided to trust the foundation.
• Your classical base is often said to keep you “grounded.” In the studio, while recording Ludhiyane Waleya , was there a specific moment when that grounding actually gave you the freedom to experiment instead of holding you back?
• I knew what I was singing. I wasn't guessing. That control helped me try new things without fear.
• In the last year or so, More Sajan , Rahiya Ve , and Dil Vich Rab hit two million streams. These are songs that prioritize melody, not just chasing viral hits. What does that organic connection tell you about what listeners secretly want from a classically trained voice today?
• The response tells me people still crave melody. They might enjoy viral stuff, sure. But they connect deeply with music driven by honesty, by the tune. A classically trained voice carries that honesty.
• More Sajan , your collaboration with Arjuna Harjai in 2024—it feels like a tender call to someone you care about. How has the emotional landscape of your independent work shifted since your earlier playback and semi-classical phase, especially after you started mentoring?
• Time has made my expression more real. More open. Earlier, I focused so much on technique and being correct. Now, I let the song guide me. Mentoring students changed me too. I’ve become kinder to myself. More grateful for every step.

Emotion.

As a creative assistant on big projects— Guddu Engineer , Prisoners of War , Abby Gold for the soundtrack—you learned how sound supports a story. That invisible work changed how I approach my own solo stuff.

Now, singing and thinking about the music just merge. When I sing, I automatically think about the arrangement. How much space the music needs. Where my voice should sit so everything balances. It makes me place every line with more intention. I’m not just hitting notes. I’m thinking about the whole picture. How my voice can shift the mood. It makes the singing more mindful. More connected to the production.

You co-founded ASM Academy with Arjuna Harjai in 2016. A space for Hindustani and light classical training, both in person and online. What’s it like watching the next generation try to balance tradition and modernity, the same tension you lived through?

It feels like watching my younger self. They want strong classical training. They want to sound modern. Their excitement gives me hope that classical music can grow in new ways.

Many of your students come to the academy looking for more than just technique. They want a sense of belonging. Has teaching shown you anything about your own journey that you missed while you were just performing?

It makes me patient. More grateful for every step.

It just keeps growing. Giving time to your voice. That’s something you can’t replace. Sur demands sincerity. Riyaz demands dedication. They are the foundation.

Your dreams aren't stopping you. They’re just arranging themselves.