By now Monica Dogra should have a multiple personality disorder. As one half of electronica duo Shaa'ir+Func, she personifies a dishevelled, stick-her-tongue-out Kali when on stage. As host of television music series The Dewarists, she's a wandering minstrel. As an actor, she's capricious to say the least—sometimes playing a true-to-life NRI girl (Dhobi Ghat), sometimes a rebel (David). On her time off, she's a PETA activist; by night she's out to reclaim Mumbai's party scene, organising the popular Grime Riot Disco nights. In May, the 31-year-old, known for her daring approach to dressing, launched her fashion line with the website Stylista.
With all this on her plate, it's hard to sit her down for an interview. When we finally speak, she's in Los Angeles. After a gruelling 18-hour video shoot for her upcoming solo album, Spit, on which she's devoted three years already. "I've realised now is my time to push the limits and do more than I've ever done... Better than I've ever done it," she says about her solo debut. "I was in a position where I was writing for others' albums, and having written five records with Shaa'ir+Func I just felt like defining myself alone.... At this juncture, I'm strong enough to do that. I know exactly who I am and exactly what that looks and sounds like."
The year has definitely started on a big note for her. She's performed with her band in Réunion islands and Glastonbury. Her acting career has seen her perform with Kalki Koechlin in Severing Ties, while her latest indie short film, Relapse, is being showcased at the LA Film Festival.
After almost a decade of banging, dance floor-friendly music at Shaa'ir+Func, she's now ready to open her heart out. Her nine-track album, recorded between Delhi, Mumbai, Manali and the UK, talks about her journey in love. "The album is about love—for me, everything is love. Failure, pain, politics, sex, rejection, passion—all shades of being are manifestations of love." On Spit, the sound is stripped down and the songs are personal. "I was in Goa, forlorn and fresh out of a breakup, but the sea cradled me like a mother's womb. I started to sing, wade in the water to comfort myself, and then started thinking of lyrics—spiritual, meditative and soothing. I sang to myself like a friend hugging a friend and there the song 'Pockets' was born," she adds.
Watch Dogra defy gravity in the video for her new track 'Rise Up and Run' off her album, Spit.
Go behind the scenes on the song here.
Excerpted from the September 2014 issue of Vogue India. To read more, subscribe to the print edition or get the single digital copy now.
