Kalyani decoded: How a Shreya Ghoshal remix propelled an already viral Malayalam indie track onto the global stage

‘Kalyani’ had already made its mark as one of Malayalam’s biggest independent music hits before its remixed version was released. The song became a viral sensation on Spotify and social media, with thousands of users creating dance videos and reels to its catchy tune. Its popularity soon spread beyond Kerala, helping it find listeners across India and overseas. The remix, featuring Shreya Ghoshal’s vocals and Saniya Iyappan in the music video, took the song to an even wider audience. The track has now crossed 100 million streams on Spotify, an impressive milestone for a Malayalam indie song, and even caught the attention of American rapper Snoop Dogg, who shared it on social media.

How did a Malayalam independent track become a global sensation? What went into reimagining the song while preserving its original charm? In this conversation, singers ARJN, KDS and FIFTY4, along with director Ben, executive producer Len Prasad and A&R at DefJam Recordings India Yash Uphadhyay, talk about the journey of ‘Kalyani,’ collaborating with Shreya Ghoshal, creating the remix video, the song’s growing global reach, and what’s next for the team.

Creative journey of reimagining Kalyani…
FIFTY4, one of the singers, says the idea of bringing Shreya Ghoshal onto Kalyani actually came from Yash Upadhyay. “Once he pitched the idea, we wanted to make the collaboration feel as special as possible and give the audience the best of both worlds. That’s how we landed on keeping the Malayalam introduction while having Shreya perform in Hindi – it felt like the perfect way to bring both audiences together. Having an artist of her calibre on the record was an amazing experience, and Saniya Iyappan’s performance added another layer of freshness and energy to the visuals. Everything just came together naturally.”

Audience’s response to the remixed version…
ARJN adds that they are ‘just grateful’ for the opportunity. “The amount of love people have shown us, from the original to the remix, has been incredible. Seeing listeners embrace the new version with the same energy and in many cases introducing the song to an entirely new audience means a lot to us. As artists, that’s all you can really ask for. We’re thankful to everyone who’s streamed it, shared it, and made it a part of their lives.”

Reaction to seeing Snoop Dogg sharing the remix…
KDS says the whole journey has been crazy. “You grow up seeing someone like Snoop Dogg as a global legend, so waking up to him sharing our music felt surreal. Moments like that make you realize your music is travelling far beyond where you imagined. It’s a huge motivation for us and a sign that our sound can connect with listeners across the world. Super grateful to our executive producer, Len Prasad for making this happen.”

Expanding the project further and new projects…
ARJN shares that it is too early to say if they plan to extend the Kalyani universe further. “You’ll have to wait and see. But we’ve got a lot coming. The Chillara Flex music video is on the way, and after that we’ll be dropping our next single, All Eyez on Us. There’s a lot lined up, and we’re excited for everyone to hear what’s next.”

A post shared by Saniya (@_saniya_iyappan_)

Meanwhile, Ben, who directed the remix video reveals the creative vision behind the project. “When I first heard the song, it already had a very seductive and cinematic quality. I didn’t want the video to feel like a regular performance piece, so the idea was to build a complete world around the music. We wanted that world to feel deeply connected to Kerala through the traditional architecture, jewellery, set design, rain and other cultural textures, while presenting everything in a stylish and contemporary way.

“Shreya Mam’s voice also added another emotional layer to the video. While the male artists express how captivated they are by Kalyani Shreya’s voice almost becomes Kalyani’s inner voice. The overall vision was to create something visually rich and entertaining, while also giving Kalyani her own emotional presence and identity,” he said.

Ben, also shares why they decided to bring in a contrast of sorts to the video, where the woman (played by Saniya Iyappan) is shown as a confident and independent woman, while the song has a seductive vibe. “We didn’t want Kalyani to exist only as someone the men are attracted to. Her confidence, calmness and the way she carries herself are what make her magnetic.
For me, sensuality and strength can exist together. A woman can be glamorous, feminine and desirable while still being completely in control of her own decisions. Even in the ending, we don’t clearly reveal whether Kalyani leaves in the car with the boys or chooses another path. We wanted to keep that moment slightly open. What matters is that she has finally taken control of the situation. The boys may have triggered a change within her, but they are not rescuing her. In the end, the decision belongs to Kalyani.

Casting Saniya Iyppan in the video…
Len Prasad, who is the executive producer, said it really came down to her dance talent. “Saniya has been dancing since she was very young, and that shows — she’s an incredibly skilled, precise mover. I felt she was someone who could truly do justice to the video, not just perform in front of the camera but bring real depth to it. And it’s been great to see how well she’s been received representing Kalyani — audiences have really connected with her in the role.”

Milestones and achievements…
According to Len, the song is trending at number one across India, the UAE, Australia, and the UK on both YouTube.We’re currently at number one on the UAE charts, and we’re closing in on the top spot on the Indian charts as well. “Beyond that, our video was shared by legendary artist Snoop Dogg,Cordell Broadus,Russell Simmons along with respected artists like Talwiinder, Dulquer Salmaan,Anwar Rasheed,Soubin Shahir,Aashiq Abu — the praise we’ve received has been overwhelming, and we’re deeply thankful to everyone who’s shown us love.

The original track is also heading towards 100 million streams on Spotify, which will really be the cherry on top. People across different countries keep sending their feedback — we’ve had messages from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan — and it’s been amazing to see the track received so well by audiences globally. On Instagram, we’ve already crossed over 500,000 reels within just a couple of weeks of release. Seeing all of this come together really feels like the hard work of the entire crew has finally been recognized and appreciated.”

The visual and sensory aesthetics of the video…
Len says his main aim was to make sure the video felt locally rooted but still carried international value. “I didn’t want to lose the authenticity that comes from shooting in Kerala, but at the same time I wanted the production to hold up against anything you’d see globally. That meant really focusing on quality across the board — the color grading, the design, the overall edit — everything had to do justice to the song itself. Kalyani had already earned its place with audiences purely through its sound, so the visuals needed to match that same level of craft and not feel like an afterthought.”

Shreya Ghoshal’s involvement in the song…
Yash Upadhyay-A&R, said the original song somehow found its way to Shreya Ghoshal. “During one of our meetings at Universal Music, her manager happened to mention that she had heard and really liked the track. That’s when I floated the idea of bringing her on for the remix. Everyone instantly saw the potential, and once Shreya ji came on board, her voice added a beautiful new dimension to the song while preserving everything people loved about the original.”

The biggest creative or technical challenge, according to Yash, was preserving the emotion that made Kalyani resonate with so many people. “Once a song becomes a cultural moment, every creative decision matters. Another key discussion was deciding which language Shreya ji’s verse should be in. We eventually landed on Hindi, and Pulkit Singh and Keshav beautifully crafted the composition and lyrics to make her section feel completely organic while also helping the song connect with an even wider audience. The remix was never about changing the identity of Kalyani, it was about introducing a new perspective while making sure the soul of the original remained untouched.”