FeniFina (left) and Kratex at the launch for their song ‘Jevlis Ka.’ Photo: Courtesy of the artist

The story of how DJ-producer Kratex’s new Marathi house song “Jevlis Ka” with Mumbai-origin, Toronto-based artist FeniFina came to be can be traced back to the former’s biggest hit from 2024, “Taambdi Chaamdi” with rapper Shreyas.

When Shreyas performed the then-unreleased “Taambdi Chaamdi” at the crowdfunded festival series Control Alt Delete in Mumbai in January 2024, FeniFina was in the crowd, just vibing. “When Shreyas says he was going to play an unreleased song, I didn’t even know about Kratex other than hearing about him through another rapper, HashtagPreeti. When I heard that song, I just went crazy. I told Shreyas this is something that can actually go viral,” FeniFina recalls.

A video of FeniFina “going crazy” to “Taambdi Chaamdi” made its way to Kratex, and he promptly shared it on his social media. A month later, FeniFina and Kratex finally met, with the rapper proudly beaming about playing the lead role in the video he shared. “That’s when I learned she was from Canada but spoke Marathi because of her Maharashtrian family,” Kratex says. “That gave me an idea—whenever we ask foreigners to say ‘Jevlis Ka?’ it’s always funny. So, what if an NRI girl said it in a track?”

Translating from the Marathi phrase “Have you eaten?”—an endearing conversation-starter that’s also sometimes used as a pickup line—“Jevlis Ka,” released via Spinnin’ Records, is a follow-up act to the Marathi house banger “Taambdi Chaamdi.” Riding on the success of the two songs, Kratex and FeniFina have gone on to perform it at launch shows (called Jevlis Ka Diwas) in Mumbai and Pune, plus at EDM star Martin Garrix’s Holi stadium show in Navi Mumbai last month.

Although the track was ready even before “Taambdi Chaamdi” took off, Kratex made sure to give “Jevlis Ka” just as much hype when he road-tested it at his shows. “To make it stand out even more, I had my VJ create visuals that highlighted the phrase while I played the track,” he says, explaining his approach to bumping Marathi house to the masses. “The audience, especially the girls, instantly connected with it, singing and shouting ‘Jevlis Ka?’ throughout the set. That’s when I realized people were not only understanding the song, but also vibing with it.” Kratex recalls that at first, some people weren’t sure what to expect from the track. But as it built up to the drop, the energy shifted—they got into it and started cheering. Loudly. “That was the moment I knew the track was ready for release—it was danceable, catchy, and had the perfect energy for streaming platforms,” he adds.

With a hilarious music video about a diet-conscious man who gains superpowers that allow him to turn all junk food into salads, fruits and vegetables—and a dance hook step to boot—“Jevlis Ka” has been received warmly, gaining over 52,000 streams on Spotify and over 263,000 YouTube views for the music video. It was picked up by Spinnin’ after the viral success of “Taambdi Chaamdi,” with Kratex saying he pitched it as a “great fit” to the label, “given its similar vibe and fusion of Marathi culture with modern club vibes.” He adds, “Inspired by ‘Taambdi Chaamdi,’ we wanted to create something fresh and innovative—connected in spirit but uniquely different.”

Funnily enough, FeniFina—who raps and sings in Hindi, English, Marathi, and Konkani—had already written a song with the lyrics “Jevlas Ka?” from her perspective, directed at a boy she was dating. “That never came to [fruition], because it was just an idea in my notes,” the rapper/singer adds. She recorded her parts on her phone while on the move in Goa and sent it to Kratex only after adding a few double meanings (“That’s just how I write!” FeniFina laughs). Soon enough, the producer was ready to run with it and asked her re-record her vocals at a studio with a new structure in Mumbai in May 2024.

The collaboration aligned a vision held by both artists: that Marathi music needed to be spread across the globe, beyond just the people who speak the language. Jevlis Ka Diwas has traveled within Maharashtra so far, but FeniFina has turned curator and gig organizer to see if it can go beyond. “It’s the biggest project that I’ve ever worked on,” she adds.

Up next, Kratex and FeniFina perform at Marathi hip-hop showcase gig Bhadyachi Party in Thane on Apr. 12, 2025, and the DJ brings in his birthday on Apr. 13, 2025 in Pune with a special gig. The most asked question on the dancefloor might just be “Jevlis Ka?”