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Get to know... Raja Kumari
Rapper, singer and songwriter @TheRajaKumari is craving hummus, a spa day — and obsessing over the Indus Valley civilisation
Rapper, singer, songwriter, @TheRajaKumari
Currently, I am: Watching the AI Mahabharata on Jio Hot Star.
High point in life: My Arangetram at age seven. I think it was the beginning of my entire life as an artist, and I refer to that moment a lot.
Low point in my life: My first heartbreak, and how I coped. I made music, I alchemised my pain into art.
On my playlist: Kailash Kher’s Saiyyan; Shashwat Sachdeva’s Ghafoor, featuring Shilpa Rao and Ujwal Gupta; Khayaal, by Talwinder Singh Sidhu.
One thing I would never buy: Meat.
Today I’m craving: Hummus.
Last thing I ordered online: A Kansa, gua sha, and some copper balls to infuse water with copper energy.
I checked the app before going to bed: WhatsApp. I chat with my parents halfway across the world. As I go to bed, their day is just starting.
Advice I give my 18-year-old self: Stay exactly the way you are; you will go a long way in life. Keep your passion for art and your vision clear.
My favourite subject: History. If I wasn’t a pop star, I’d be an archaeologist.
I’d swipe right on: Intellect. If he has an interest in history, even better.
My secret skill: I am good at snowboarding.
A magic tool I wish I had: A teleportation device. Most times I have to cancel things because I just can’t fly across the world to attend them.
Favourite Sunday memory: Family lunch in America, we would just get cans of amras from the Indian store, and my mom would make hot pooris.
My plans for next Sunday: A spa day.
My most starstruck moment: Working with John Legend in his LA studio with all his Grammys on the piano. We collaborated on an anthem called Keep Walking.
My favourite bad habit: I can’t resist chocolate.
If I could travel back: I’d go back and see the Indus Valley civilisation. I’ve been obsessed with it for years.
The best thing about fame: I use it to get access to museums.
The worst thing about fame: Few artists are able to separate public and personal life. And in some places, security can be an issue.
From HT Brunch, December 27, 2025
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