Maahi’s Vision for Indian Pop Is Clear

At just 19, Maahi already speaks with the kind of quiet self-assurance that only comes from doing the work—the morning riyaaz, the late-night recording sessions, the ever-growing mountain of to-do lists that shadow the dream of becoming a musician. And yet, when he talks about music, his eyes light up with something else: joy.

“I think I was around seven or eight when I started classical training with my Guruji, Anand sir,” he says. “But I didn’t really take it seriously until I was maybe 12. That’s when I knew I actually wanted to do this. Be a proper singer.” It wasn’t some grand epiphany but a slow-burning realization, helped along by honest conversations at home. “That’s also when my parents gave me a bit of a reality check,” he recalls. “They told me that if I wanted this to be real, I’d have to work a lot harder than I was.”

Since then, Maahi’s days have revolved around music. Riyaaz in the mornings, at least for an hour, and then long stretches in the studio working on new tracks to build what he hopes will be a sound that people recognize instantly.

Family ties: Growing up as legendary Indian playback singer Shaan’s son, Maahi’s music journey felt natural, even if it wasn’t always easy. “My dad never forced one kind of music on us. In fact, he encouraged me to listen to everything—all genres, all artists. He’d point out details like pitch, tone, or ease in a singer’s voice and say, ‘Listen to that. Learn from that.’” His older brother, Soham, a member of the band Citimall, brought in his own influences, adding a modern, alternative edge to the household soundscape.

A Belieber: The diversity in musical taste shaped Maahi’s own preferences. He grew up listening to international artists like Justin Bieber, Dominic Fike, and Charlie Puth, admiring not just their songs but their evolution. “Bieber’s discography is like a timeline of his life,” he says. “I want to grow with my music too, show different phases of who I am.” In India, he looks up to Arijit Singh, independent artists like Gini and Kushagra, and collaborators like Paradox, who featured on his latest song “Dil Behkaaye.”

No forced features: “I remember we had this track,” Maahi says, “and something was missing. It needed grit. We pulled my vocals off the second verse and thought: this needs Paradox. So we reached out. Thankfully, he loved it. And he elevated the song in a big way.”

That openness to collaboration is something Maahi values, but only when it feels right. “It has to be organic. No forced features just for numbers. It needs to come from a genuine place.”

Up next, an intimate EP: That genuineness extends to his creative process. He’s currently working on his first extended EP, a project that excites him because it offers space for storytelling. “With singles, it’s just one emotion at a time. But an EP lets you tell a full story — highs, lows, everything in between.” He also plans to incorporate live instruments, particularly guitar, into his performances. “It’s different when you’re up there playing. Dancing around is great, but with a guitar, it’s more intimate, more connected.”

For Maahi, music is also about mood. “I want people to feel good when they listen to my songs. There’s a lot of heartbreak music out there, and I get it, but I want to spread something a little more positive. That happy-go-lucky vibe, you know?”

Reels are the new playback: That optimism doesn’t mean ignoring the pressures of modern-day music. Social media, he admits, plays a role in how artists build their sound. “Of course, I think about which 15 seconds might work well for a reel. I’m guilty of that,” he says, laughing. “But it’s not all bad. It’s just the new version of playback music—back then, everything was made for films. Now, sometimes, it’s made for reels. It’s part of the challenge.”

The future of music: One thing he isn’t worried about — at least not yet—is artificial intelligence. “Right now, AI feels like a tool. Something to help with lyrics, rhymes. I’ll use ChatGPT to find a word that rhymes with ‘khata’ and get ‘pata’—that kind of thing,” he jokes. But he’s aware of the ethical dilemmas. “Using someone else’s voice without consent? That’s where it gets tricky. I think we’ll need more regulation there.”

Still, the landscape of Indian pop excites him more than it worries him. “I mean, look at the charts right now,” he says. “Songs like ‘Jhol,’ ‘Finding Bird,’ ‘Jo Tum Mere Ho’—all of them are pop. That’s incredible. I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

Taking I-pop global: His dream? To take Indian pop—or as he playfully calls it, I-pop—to the global stage. “It’s not about becoming a Western artist. It’s about showing the world what we have here. Like how K-pop became a global force. Why not us?”

When asked how he sees himself evolving, Maahi references artists who started young, like Shawn Mendes and Troye Sivan. “They didn’t try to act older than they were. They wrote about being teenagers. That’s what I’m doing. I’m not writing about marriage or midlife crises—I’m writing about young love, confusion, heartbreak. Teen pop. That’s where I am right now.”

Still a student: Outside of music, Maahi is as grounded as he is ambitious. He’s pursuing a business degree to stay sharp in meetings. “I never want to be the guy in the room who doesn’t know what ROI means,” he says, grinning. He’s into sports and proudly admits to spending too much time on FIFA. “There’s this whole underground musician FIFA league,” he jokes. “We should actually make it official.”

Reality check: He also loves his dogs, Pepper and Ginger, is exploring spirituality, and spends time reading news to stay informed. But when the spotlight turns back to his art, there’s no hesitation. “I just want people to hear my music and feel something. Happiness, connection, whatever it is — as long as it’s real.”