Music comes as a bliss after a long, tiring day. And when the lyrics find the way to your heart, it is meant to be played on loop. Parties, long drives, heartbreaks and love stories, music has got every mood covered. It is almost mystical how we transform into the “pop singers of a concert” in shower. I, for sure know I am.
Here is the journey of one such rising star of the musical world. A singer and songwriter, whose story will inspire many young musicians to take a step ahead on the way to their dreams. Sahil Dhandhia, an emerging name, whose journey started off from being an engineer to a successful singer-songwriter, shares his experiences and achievements being in the music industry.
Sahil was born and raised in Mumbai. He completed his high school education residing in Mumbai and went on to pursue graduation in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. And after contributing his 10 years in the family business of diamond trade, he soon realized that life had some other plans for him. He decided to drop his career and business and gave a shot to his passion- Music.
The Beginning of a new Chapter
The initial steps for him to take up music as a full-time profession were quite difficult. Belonging to a business family, it was hard for him to convince his family with his decision. And just like an infant learns to walk, Sahil, too, struggled to find the right steps to take ahead.
Dhandhia states that there is still a lack of clarity for beginners in the industry. There are only a handful of opportunities and auditions for new singers and musicians. This was one disappointment he had to face after starting out as a musician. He did not have enough connections or sources that could help him meet the right people for guidance. Yet, he took a huge leap in his career. He considers U2, Iron and Wine and Coldplay to be his inspiration.
Soon in time, he got a project as a recording artist from a renowned meditation app, Sarva, to record a whole bunch of meditation mantras in his voice. It was a major breakthrough of his career. His talent and work made him stand out in the crowd. He got to perform at TED X event early in his career. This further opened many opportunities for him.
A Star in the Making: Sahil’s steps to Success
His recent big project, music video ‘Chalte Jaana Hai’, is not only a reflection of his struggles, hard-work and perseverance but also inspires young musicians, creators and artists to keep moving with a goal and never give up. The song ‘Chalte Jaana Hai’, in the soothing voice of Dhandhia and soulful lyrics is meant to be played on loop.
Another major break of his career was when he got his first opportunity to sing the jingle of a reality TV show ‘All is Well with Dr. Ahluwalia’. He has been performing live in Mumbai at shows, has covered our favorite songs, sung mashups and is aspiring to release many more music videos like ‘Chalte Jaana hai’, ‘Jaane Bhi Do’ and ‘Dil Mera’.
The Mantras of Music straight from Dhandhia
Dhandhia is an in-born artist and he writes when music comes to him. He does not believe in sticking to the desk and writing a song. To him, it’s all good till he has enough songs lined-up.
“A song should be raw and straight from the soul, not polished in a factory”
Sahil Dhandhia
For him, Bollywood is the biggest music industry in the country. So, one can always choose to pursue a career in music outside Bollywood but it requires good financial back-up. In the beginning years of a musical career, it is important to have a parallel source of earning to pay off bills.
Sahil believes and encourages the youth to choose a career of their dreams. The artists should follow what they’ll enjoy being a part of and not the final destination of the journey. He suggests the upcoming musicians and creators to watch his music video ‘Chalte Jaana Hai’ whenever they feel low. Giving up on the efforts must not be an option.
He is a constant example of persistence and how dreams can be achieved with consistent efforts, patience and believe in self. Inspiring stories like Sahil’s will certainly change the conventions about choosing dreams as professions and redefine success for generations to come.
