Indian pop group W.i.S.H: We’re just showing people that women are meant to support eachother

IN simply 2 years, the amerindic tonic aggroup W.i.S.H has gone from being a bold experiment to one of the country’s most talked-about young acts. With a rapidly growing fan-base and a strong message of sisterhood, members Ri (Riya Duggal), Sim (Simran Duggal), Zo (Zoe Siddharth) and Suchi (Suchita Shirke) reflect on their journey, evolving music and growing influence.“Before we knew it, our debut song Lazeez (2024) was out, fan pages were popping up and people were talking about the numbers. We were just like, ‘Wow’,” says the group, who recently performed C.O.R.E. (Culture Of Real Experiences) fan and pop-culture festival, in Mumbai. “We had no clue it was going to lead to this. It was scary because we didn’t know what to expect, but I’m so glad we chose this path,” Sim adds. Ri says the uncertainty stemmed from the fact that there was no blueprint to follow. “For all of us, it was a risk because there wasn’t really a recent example of a group like this to follow. Everyone was figuring it out together, but we kept our heads down and focused on the music.”Music remains at the centre of everything they do. “Even during auditions, it was the four of us sitting in a room and writing songs,” the group shares. “Since then, our music-making process has evolved so much. We’re now collaborating with international producers and songwriters, and we’re excited about the projects that are coming.”Reflecting on their journey since releasing their debut single, the members say they have grown significantly as performers. “When we shot our first music video, everything felt like a learning experience. Now things feel much more natural. We recently performed before a crowd of nearly 21,000 people, and moments like that make you realise you’re on the right track.” Of course, no performer is immune to stage jitters. But W.i.S.H believes mistakes are simply part of the process. “We’re singing, dancing, rapping and doing everything together, so mistakes are bound to happen. If one of us messes up, someone else always steps in and covers for her. That’s what sisterhood means for us.”As their audience has grown, so has their influence. W.i.S.H enjoys a devoted fan following, particularly among young girls who look up to them not just for their music but also for what they represent. Yet the group doesn’t view that as pressure. “For us, it’s more excitement than pressure,” they say. “There are values we want to share through W.i.S.H, dreaming big, breaking barriers and supporting one another. We just want to be ourselves and hopefully inspire people through that.”While thousands of fans scream their names at concerts, the members are still starstruck fans themselves. “BTS, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, Tyla and Ayra Starr,” they say when asked which artists they admire, adding that they would love to watch Sunidhi Chauhan perform live.Despite the group’s rapid rise, the members say their bond with one another remains the foundation of W.i.S.H. “We’re just showing people that women are meant to support each other,” the group says. “We understand what each other is going through. When you have a bond like we do, it changes everything. We can have disagreements and fights, but we resolve them like sisters do.” If there is one lesson they hope young girls take from their journey, it is the value of female friendships. “A woman’s experience is something only another woman can truly understand. Sometimes your friends understand what you’re feeling without you even saying a word. That’s the beauty of sisterhood,” the band concludes.