MUMBAI– Indian singer-songwriter Natania Lalwani lit up the blue carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of the new Smurfs movie, where she posed alongside global superstar Rihanna at the Paramount Theater.
Natania is part of the musical team behind the film’s much-anticipated soundtrack, having contributed to nine of the fourteen tracks. She collaborated with a lineup of international artists, including Rihanna, Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Tyla, Shenseea, and James Corden.
One standout song, “Higher Love,” fuses Punjabi and South Asian musical styles with contemporary pop and hip-hop. The track features Natania on English vocals, a Punjabi chorus by Subhi, and contributions from Cardi B and DJ Khaled—marking the first time a Punjabi song has appeared in a Hollywood animated feature.
Speaking about the experience, Natania said, “To see my name on a soundtrack alongside artists I grew up listening to and then to walk the blue carpet for it? My heart’s still catching up.”
She added, “It was such a beautiful day celebrating such a joyful project and watching the music come to life in the movie, especially hearing Punjabi lyrics and dhols play in the theatre.”
Natania also shared the surreal moment of meeting Rihanna at the event: “It was truly a dream, a very bluetiful one!”
In the animated film, Rihanna voices Smurfette, while other members of the cast include Nick Offerman as Ken, JP Karliak as Razamel/Gargamel, Dan Levy as Joel, Amy Sedaris as Jaunty, Natasha Lyonne as Mama Poot, and Octavia Spencer as Asmodius.
The Smurfs premiered in India on July 18 in both English and Hindi. (Source: IANS)
