It was during the lockdown that Hania Nafisa entered the music industry. The cover which he uploaded on his social media handle gained him a huge fan following. After a short break from social media, Haniya ventured into the independent music scene and has released three originals this year, the latest of which is an English track, ‘When Life Gives You Lemons’.

“This was a song made for a friend’s short film. I recorded it with background score. I was encouraged to release it separately. Initially, we made a lyric video with some artwork. There were no plans to bring it out as a music video,” Haniya said over phone from Kochi.

“It’s about living a mundane life,” says Hania, who appears as a waitress in the video. She adds, “It was an attempt to do something new. The acceptance of English songs is increasing in Kerala, so it was a risk we took. I have experimented with vocal textures to bring a retro vibe.”

The tonal quality of his voice, cinematography, orchestration and liveliness of the video have been praised. Produced by Hania and her friend, Aslam Seju, the video’s cinematographer, under their banner New Films, it is directed by Arshad Iqbal.

The work also features rapper MHR and digital producer and musician Salman Koroth. “We didn’t expect so much love for an English song. There has also been a positive response from within the music industry. We have received offers to make more songs and hopefully it will happen soon,” she adds.

Singer-composer Hania Nafisa. Photo Courtesy: Aslam Seju

The artist emphasizes that making a music video is no easy task. “This requires huge investment. But it helped that all the actors and technicians in the video are our friends. There was mutual trust and that’s why this video happened.”

Reminiscing about her journey, 21-year-old Haniya talks about her transformation from being one of the crowd pleasers to becoming a solo artist. “In school I was more interested in extra-curricular activities than studies. But I preferred working or performing as part of a group and never had the confidence to take the initiative to do something on my own. However, this changed during the lockdown. At that time, all I could do was sing while sitting in the comfort of my home,” says Hania.

This was a turning point for the self-taught musician, who endeared himself to music lovers with his melodious voice and playing the ukulele or guitar. “When people started coming up to me, I felt I needed to be more confident. Once the scene went offline, especially during shows in colleges, I realized how much people have accepted me as a musician,” says Haniya.

Hania Nafisa in her music video, ‘When Life Gives You Lemons’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

He entered the indie music scene with his original track ‘Mulchedi’ with composer-singer Govind Vasantha. “That song was written and composed more than five years ago when I was going through a traumatic phase in my life. When I came out of that phase, I felt I should release it,” she says.

She worked with Govind in the film Etcetera and music videos Thonnal Featuring Ahana Krishna. “He is like a guru. I had narrated ‘Mulchedi’ long ago. And when I asked him if I could collaborate with him, he agreed.

Although his first playback recording was for EtceteraHer first film song to be released was ‘Zindagi’ composed by Gopi Sundar for a Telugu film. Most Qualified Graduate,

His second original work, ‘You Good’ was with indie artists 6091 (Gopikrishnan) and Creamery (Damini Chauhan). “Initially I wondered if people would appreciate the music I made. But that’s what I wanted to do and so I didn’t think much about it. I realized that if I kept worrying about the audience’s reaction, I might lose interest. That’s when I decided to make the kind of music I like.”

Singer-composer Hania Nafisa. Photo Courtesy: Aslam Seju

And when AR Rahman posted a ‘Lovely’ comment along with an emoji for the track ‘Mulchedi’ on Instagram, his happiness knew no bounds. It was indeed an overwhelming moment for Hania, who started her YouTube journey with a cover version of Rahman’s song ‘Lukka Chuppi’. Give color to springWhich went viral with over 6.1 million views.

Hania made her debut as an actor in the Tamil film, Add In which he worked with Nayanthara and Anupam Kher. He played an important role in Ranjan Pramod o.baby and there were heroes in it Apple CedicleScreened at the International Film Festival of Kerala 2023.

Hania, who is currently pursuing a diploma in architecture and interior designing, says that some interesting collaborations are coming up.