Sep 22, 2026 3:00pm IST
Sanju Rathod On The Success Of ‘Gulabi Sadi’ And ‘Shakey Shakey’: ‘I Have Been Manifesting This For Many Years’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sanju Rathod is redefining how modern India listens to Marathi music. As a singer, composer and lyricist, he has built a distinctive style that weaves traditional Marathi folk and Banjara cultural roots with Afro-pop rhythms, modern hip-hop and dance beats. With his tracks like “Gulabi Sadi,” “Shakey Shakey,” “Nauvari” and “Kaali Bindi” topping charts, Rathod has turned local music into a massive movement. Now, taking center stage to headline the newly launched Spotlight Season 4, he leads the season’s opening release “Pahije” alongside Juilee Joglekar.
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His hits like “Gulabi Sadi” and “Shakey Shakey” breached the regional barrier to conquer mainstream audiences. Reflecting on whether he anticipated this massive level of virality while creating them, he says, “I have been manifesting for many years that every song of mine should reach a higher level and ‘Shakey Shakey’ and ‘Gulabi Sadi’ have proved how much manifestation works, so I would like to make a double of this.”
Known for his signature style that seamlessly blends Marathi folk and Banjara culture with modern Afro beats and contemporary pop, Sanju addresses whether he feels he has given regional music a whole new identity. “Regional music has been around for many years, so there is no need to give it a new identity. I just mould it according to me and my music producer, my brother T-Spark. He adds some interlocking elements and some of my efforts and together we make something.”
When asked whether the constant expectation to top the charts strains his creative process, Rathod says, “I do not feel the pressure. I just make whatever I like and everyone loves it.”
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