He Slept At CST Station, Took Loans To Make Music Videos. Now, Gulabi Sadi Singer Sanju Rathod Has 3.7 Billion YouTube Views

In a world driven by viral sensations, Marathi singer and songwriter Sanju Rathod has carved out a success story that makes his journey all the more inspiring. Struggles are part and parcel of every individual trying to make their mark, especially an outsider. Sanju Rathod did not have it easy until he became a global music sensation, with his hits Gulabi Sadi and Shaky garnering millions of views.

A mechanical engineering dropout from Dhanwad village in Jalgaon district, Sanju Rathod came to Mumbai without a safety net and endured immense financial hardship. From spending 15 days sleeping on the floor of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station with just a single blanket to plunging into complete isolation after losing his phone and being cut off from communication for five to six months, his journey has been anything but easy. It makes one teary-eyed to think of the price of success that the talented Marathi pop star has paid.

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

Debts kept piling up, as did the pressure.

In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Sanju Rathod opens up about his life so far in a freewheeling chat.

Was there ever a point when he felt that all the struggle just wasn't worth it?

He says, "A song might become a hit, but then for a year you may not have another successful release. You're caught somewhere between success and failure. During those periods, you start questioning yourself. There were times when I felt I should give myself more time. Success takes time, and sometimes we forget that."

"Back then, I had nothing. I left my studies. My family was under a lot of pressure. But we kept working, trying one thing after another. If you put your whole heart into your work, success does come," adds the singer.

Interestingly, people even assumed that Sanju Rathod was earning a lot of money as his visibility grew, one viral track at a time.

Sanju Rathod explains, "Yes, that happens. I don't think money alone makes a person successful. People often see popularity and assume you're making a huge amount of money. When I was struggling, people still thought I was doing very well. Many of my early videos were made with almost no budget. Whatever I had, I used to create content."

"People only see the final result. They don't always see the struggle behind it," he adds.

Sanju Rathod's turning point came in 2023 with his Marathi song Nauvari in partnership with Believe India, a major platform that helps independent musicians elevate their work through global positioning, strategic marketing and creative autonomy.

He says, "Honestly, signing with Believe reduced my pressure rather than increasing it. Before that, I had to handle everything myself and didn't fully understand many aspects of the business. Working with a professional team gave me support and allowed me to focus more on making music."

"So, in many ways, it made things easier rather than more stressful," adds the singer.

On Money And Fame

Having experienced the constant struggle for financial stability, one would assume that the explosive fame that came with Gulabi Sadi would change Sanju Rathod.

But he says money has never been his focus.

He shares, "Every person dreams of becoming very successful and earning a lot of money. But my focus has always been different. People often judge artists based on what car they own, how much money they have and their lifestyle. I don't think that way. For me, the real question is how I can take my music, my language and my art to greater heights. That's what matters most to me. If I can keep elevating my art, then everything else will follow."

He adds, "As a middle-class boy, my dream was never just about becoming rich. Of course, I wanted to make my family happy and show them things they had never seen before. But beyond 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."

Gulabi Sadi Hitting 500 Million Views And Ending Up At Times Square

The genesis of Gulabi Sadi makes its enormous success all the more bittersweet. During Diwali 2023, when Sanju Rathod could not even visit his village, he remembered how much his mother loved the colour pink. As a spiritual successor to his hit song Nauvari, he went on to write Gulabi Sadi.

Gulabi Sadi made history when it was featured on a billboard in New York's Times Square. It was the cherry on top after the immense internet fame the track had already achieved.

Sanju Rathod recalls, "The appreciation I received was the most special thing. My parents are huge Bollywood fans. When Madhuri Dixit ma'am made a reel on my song for the first time, it was a massive moment for my family, especially my father."

"Many artists also reached out to me. Some left comments, others sent DMs. For me, that was a huge achievement because I had worked for years hoping to reach a certain level," the singer adds.

He also reiterates how he realised that language is not a barrier when he visited the US. While people kept asking him to make more Hindi and Punjabi tracks, he remained focused on Marathi music.

And then came Shaky, yet another milestone that strengthened the Marathi pop phenomenon. The song, too, crossed 500 million views. But does the pressure of constantly delivering hits increase after every viral success?

He shares, "I don't think too much about numbers. One song might get 500 million views; another might get 50 million. That isn't my focus. Of course, there's pressure because people expect another big hit. I want to make my listeners proud. Naturally, I wonder whether I can create another song that becomes even bigger."

"But I don't pressure myself about view counts," says Sanju Rathod.

On The 'King Of Marathi Pop' Title

With titles come expectations, but it is Sanju Rathod's unprecedented love for Marathi music that keeps him going. You can sense 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 artists is operating at another level. As for the title, I don't really see myself that way. There are many talented artists. My job is simply to keep creating music and building new paths."

"A lot of artists meet me and tell me that I've helped Marathi pop reach a wider audience. I feel grateful when people say that, but I believe there are many artists contributing to this movement," concludes Sanju Rathod.

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

Sanju Rathod continues to be associated with Believe, which recently announced its fourth music imprint, BL/UR, aimed at rewriting the blueprint for Indian pop by blurring domestic and global boundaries with a fresh, modern sound.

And with that, Sanju Rathod takes his leave, promising never to stop championing Marathi music and the grassroots rise that made him a global phenomenon. His drive remains as un-"Shaky" as ever.