HYDERABAD: Mumbai’s musical prodigy, Akshath Acharya, is taking the indie-pop scene by storm, captivating audiences with his electrifying performances and hit tracks. His breakout single, Nadaaniyan, is India’s Number 1 viral song of the year, solidifying his status as a hitmaker. With a string of popular releases like Jadoo, Khoya, and Sahaare, this phenomenal artist is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. With his boundless talent, Akshath mesmerised his Hyderabadi fans recently at Illuzion Club & Kitchen. Cinema Express had a fun chat with the ace singer.
Excerpts:
How has your trip to Hyderabad been so far?
It’s been amazing! I’m from Mumbai, so usually we have a lot of ego and say oh, Mumbai is the best. Mumbai is nice, but Hyderabad has its charm and the weather is good, the roads are nice, and there are amazing places to eat at. In fact, the main thing I love about Hyderabad is the food. Very cliche, but the biryani, I mean—I loved it! Overall, a 10 out of 10.
How did you start your journey?
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. When I was in Class 7, I started playing the guitar. At first, I didn’t enjoy it—my fingers hurt, and it just wasn’t fun. But my parents encouraged me, saying it would make me “cool” in college if I learned to play.
That kind of motivated me, so I stuck with it and eventually picked it up. It wasn’t just about singing anymore—it was about understanding how songs are structured and created. During the lockdown, with all the extra time, I really plunged into music production. I started releasing music just for fun, and to my surprise, people loved it.
What was your family’s reaction to your first song?
The first song I wrote was actually in English, and my family had no clue I was into songwriting. I’d never shown any signs of being into writing or music like that, so they were pretty shocked when I shared it with them. I had quietly been learning music production on my own—not intentionally hiding it, but just doing my own thing. When I finally shared what I’d been working on, they were both surprised and really happy.
What’s one of your most memorable experiences so far?
What brings me the most joy on this journey is the thrill of taking an idea and turning it into a song. Each time I dive into that creative process, it feels so special. After countless hours of hard work, experimenting, and refining, I finally hear it sound just like I imagined.
There have been nights when I find myself alone in the hall while everyone else is asleep, listening to a song I created, and I can’t help but dance because it sounds just right. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sad song or a happy one; as long as it resonates with me and captures what I envisioned, that feeling is pure happiness.
How do you prepare for the shows or the concerts that you do?
The first few shows we did were definitely more nerve-racking because my band and I were still putting our set together. So, starting this tour, I was a bit anxious, hoping everything would go smoothly. But now, the band is really in sync. Everyone knows their parts, and we’ve figured out how to handle things if something goes wrong. Plus, we’re great friends, which makes it feel less like work.
When did you realise that this is something that you wanted to pursue as your career?
I wouldn’t say there was a single moment of realisation; it was more of a gradual process. I was studying engineering at the time, but little signs kept popping up. Whether it was getting recognition from a big artist or seeing way more people respond to something than I ever expected, it felt like things were falling into place.
I remember writing my first song and being genuinely surprised by how good it sounded, especially for my first attempt. And most importantly, I was truly enjoying it. I had never felt this kind of connection to anything else before, so I knew I had to pursue it.
Your latest song, Naadaniyan, has become a huge hit. What do you have to say about that?
I absolutely love it! You know how they say it’s about enjoying the journey, not just focusing on the end goal? Well, with this song, we’ve truly embraced the journey. We talk about it all the time because so much of it has been unexpected. From how the song came together to how the music video was made, everything just flowed from instinct. Usually, you’d spend a lot of time getting input from labels, shooting multiple videos, and seeking opinions. But this time, we trusted our gut, and it really paid off.
Can you take us through the process of making the song?
The journey of creating this song was quite unique. It began with just a simple hook—Kaise tu gungunaaye… I decided to share it on Instagram to gauge interest, thinking if it received enough engagement, I’d consider developing it further.
The response was overwhelming, leading to a flurry of shares, which prompted my team and me to quickly create the full song. Within 48 hours, I was in the studio recording vocals, guitars, and handling all aspects of production. Normally, I would seek feedback from friends and colleagues before finalising a track, but due to time constraints, only three people, including myself, had heard it before its release. Surprisingly, the reaction was much more positive than I anticipated, proving that sometimes following your instincts can lead to unexpected success.
