Sanju Rathod (28)
Musician
Long before his songs took over reels, charts and city soundscapes, music had already found Sanju Rathod. It arrived quietly, in a small Banjara household in Maharashtra’s Dhanwad village, where evenings often ended with his uncles and grandfather singing. Years later, during high school, music returned to him at a vulnerable moment. A bad breakup pushed Rathod towards songwriting. What began as short couplets and emotional stanzas soon evolved into writing and singing rap songs—entirely in Marathi, the language in which he found his most natural expression.
Over the last couple of years, Rathod has become one of the most influential voices of regional pop, blending traditional Marathi elements with current beats to make music that travels far beyond state borders. His breakout track ‘Gulabi Sadi’, which came out in 2024, became a cultural phenomenon, crossed over 500 million views on YouTube, and took over all the streaming platforms. The song poured into people’s daily digital lives, on to reels and as part of celebrations. It even lit up New York’s Times Square. He followed it with another viral song in ‘Shaky’ in 2025 which reached the 500-million views mark, sealing Rathod’s position in this new wave of Marathi pop—proudly local yet unmistakably global.
Rathod’s rise can seem sudden; in truth, it was not. In 2016, he made a difficult decision to quit engineering midway to pursue music—a choice that deeply worried his family. His father, a welder by profession, wanted his son to study, secure stability and build a respectable career. “For many years, I just hustled. It felt like I was not doing anything worthwhile. I had to see my parents lie to relatives about how much I earn and the gifts I bought for them. It was heartbreaking,” Rathod tells Forbes India.
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Mumbai became the testing ground for that decision. To sustain himself while chasing music, Rathod took loans, slept on friends’ sofas, and at times, even spent nights at railway stations. Like many aspiring artistes, he turned to YouTube hoping for a breakthrough—but early uploads barely found an audience.
In 2019, ‘Bappa Wala Gana’ gave Rathod his first breakthrough, but the momentum soon faded amid financial strain. Despite considering quitting, he persisted. During the lockdown, a move to Nashik and a collaboration with cousin and producer Gaurav Rathod (G-Spxrk) reignited his journey. Over the next three years, he released a steady stream of songs, including ‘Dimple’, the ‘Bappa Wala Gana’ series, ‘Nauvari Pahije’ and ‘Gulabi Sadi’, culminating in 2025 with ‘Shaky’, which pushed him into the global spotlight.
Padmanabhan NS of Spotify, who has closely followed Rathod’s journey, points to his evolution as a key strength. “Though Sanju began his career primarily as a rapper without a strong background in composition or music theory, he took the initiative to learn. He then pivoted to composing songs, each of which has become a standalone super hit, consistently topping Spotify charts,” he says.
For the 28-year-old, social media has been central to this shift—not just as a platform, but also as a bridge between language, culture and audience. “It’s a proud feat for me to represent the Marathi culture globally, and that is thanks to the views and the love the audience has showered on my songs. They made my songs their own,” he says.
Looking ahead, Rathod is working on his first album, slated for release in 2026, which will include international collaborations—an unprecedented feat in Marathi pop. An India tour is also in the pipeline. After years of uncertainty, struggle and quiet persistence, Rathod’s music is no longer searching for an audience. The audience has already found him.
First Published: Jan 22, 2026, 12:58
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