In a world driven by viral sensations, Marathi singer and lyricist Sanju Rathore has created a success story that makes his journey all the more inspiring. Struggles are part and parcel of anyone trying to figure out who they are, especially an outsider. It was not easy for Sanju Rathod until he became a global music sensation with his hit songs. pink saree And Trembling Getting millions of views.

A mechanical engineering dropout from Dhanwad village in Jalgaon district, Sanju Rathore came to Mumbai without a safety net and faced severe financial hardship. From sleeping on the floor of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) for 15 days Completely isolated after losing his phone at a railway station with only a blanket and being cut off from communication for five-six months, his journey has been anything but easy. These eyes fill with tears thinking about the price of success that the talented Marathi pop star has paid.

She took up odd jobs to keep up, from working as a domestic help to taking loans to fund her early music videos and Ganpati tracks. He even hid on his roof when moneylenders came looking for him, demanding repayment.

Debt piled up, as did the pressure.

In an exclusive chat with NDTV, Sanju Rathore talks about his life so far in a freewheeling chat.

Was there ever a point when he felt the whole struggle wasn’t worth it?

He says, “A song can be a hit, but then you don’t have another successful release for a year. You get stuck somewhere between success and failure. During that time, you start questioning yourself. Sometimes I felt like I should give myself more time. Success takes time, and sometimes we forget that.”

“At that time, I had nothing. I gave up my studies. My family was under a lot of pressure. But we kept working, one effort after another. If you put your heart into your work, success comes,” adds the singer.

Interestingly, people also assumed that Sanju Rathore was making a lot of money as his appearances increased, one viral track at a time.

Sanju Rathod explains, “Yes, it does. I don’t think money alone makes a person successful. People often assume that you are making a lot of money when you see fame. When I was struggling, people still thought I was doing great. Many of my early videos were made with no budget. Whatever I had, I would create content.”

“People only see the end result. They don’t always see the struggle behind it,” he adds.

Sanju Rathore’s turn came in 2023 with his Marathi song newbie In partnership with Believe India, a leading platform that helps independent musicians elevate their work through global exposure, strategic marketing and creative autonomy.

He says, “Honestly, signing with Believe took my pressure off rather than increasing it. Before, I had to handle everything myself and didn’t fully understand many aspects of the business. Working with a professional team supported me and allowed me to focus more on making music.”

“So, in many ways, it made things easier rather than more stressful,” Singer adds.

On money and fame

After experiencing a constant struggle for financial stability, one would assume that the explosive popularity that followed. pink saree Sanju will replace Rathore.

But he says money has never been his focus.

He shares, “Everybody dreams of being very successful and making a lot of money. But my focus has always been different. People often judge artists based on what car they have, how much money they have and their lifestyle. I don’t think so. For me, the real question is how can I take my music, my language and my art to greater heights. That’s what matters most to me, if I follow through with everything I do.” will do.”

He adds, “As a middle-class boy, I never dreamed of becoming rich. Of course, I wanted to please my family and show them things they had never seen before. But apart from that, I always wanted to see how far I could take my art. The further I take my art, the more successful I consider myself.”

pink saree Getting 500 million views and ended up in Times Square

Origin of pink saree Makes its huge success all the more bittersweet. During Diwali 2023, when Sanju Rathore could not even go to his village, he remembered how much his mother loved the color pink. As a spiritual successor to his hit song newbieHe continued to write pink saree.

pink saree made history when it was displayed on a billboard in New York’s Times Square. The track peaked after the immense internet fame it had already achieved.

Sanju Rathore recalls, “The most special thing was the appreciation I got. My parents are huge Bollywood fans. When Madhuri Dixit ma’am reeled in my song for the first time, it was a huge moment for my family, especially my father.”

“Many artistes also reached out to me. Some left comments, some sent DMs. For me, it was a big achievement as I had worked for years hoping to reach a certain level,” adds the singer.

He also reiterated how he realized that language was not a barrier when he went to America. While people kept asking him to make Hindi and Punjabi tracks, he remained focused on Marathi music.

And then came TremblingAnother milestone that cemented the Marathi pop phenomenon. This song has also crossed 500 million views. But does the pressure to deliver consecutive hits increase after every viral success?

He shares, “I don’t think much about numbers. One song might get 500 million views; another might get 50 million. That’s not my focus. Of course, there’s pressure because people expect another big hit. I want to make my audience proud. Naturally, I wonder if I can make another song that can become even bigger.”

“But I don’t stress myself about the number of views,” says Sanju Rathore.

On the title ‘King of Marathi Pop’

With titles come expectations, but it’s Sanju Rathore’s undying love for Marathi music that keeps him going. You can feel the passion with which he wants to take Marathi music to every corner of the world.

He shares, “Marathi music is growing very fast. The new generation of Marathi artistes are working at another level. As for the title, I don’t really see myself as such. There are so many talented artists. My job is just to make music and break new ground.”

“Many artistes meet me and tell me that I have helped Marathi pop reach a larger audience. I feel grateful when people say that, but I believe that many artists have contributed to this movement,” said Sanju Rathore.

today,Sanju Rathore has taken global pop to a whole new level. He commands a total of over 3.7 billion views on YouTube on his official channel, Sanju Rathore SR. He has 6.9 million subscribers and, in addition, attracts 3 to 3.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Sanju Rathore is associated with Believe, which recently announced its fourth music imprint, BL/UR, which aims to rewrite the blueprint for Indian pop by blurring domestic and global boundaries with a fresh, modern sound.

And with that, Sanju Rathore took his leave, promising to stop conquering Marathi music and the grassroots upsurge that made him a global phenomenon. His drive remains as un-“suspicious” as ever.