Yashraj Mukhate, naam toh suna hoga. There is no way you can be on the internet without knowing who he is. Or without coming across his creations.
Yashraj, who has been working as a musician for a while, shot to fame with the rasode mein kaun tha video that exceeded all of his expectations and went viral hours after being uploaded online.
In the next few days, it was all we heard everywhere. The line became a national meme, and Yashraj became an internet sensation soon after.
In an interview given to Humans of Bombay, he shared his journey, and here are a few excerpts from it.
Yashraj realised his love for music at a very young age of 3 when his father gifted him a keyboard. He was sure that he wanted to become a musician but just like many kids in India, had to complete his engineering degree before.
I pursued engineering; I’d attend college in the morning, but once home, I’d get on YouTube. I’ve learnt everything from there! Somehow, I got my degree and after that, I channelled all my energy towards music.
He started dividing his time between music and his studies but the major roadblock was the lack of equipment. However, as they say, where there is a will, there is a way.
So, he started using chocolate wrappers and dabbas to make renditions. And eventually, he started getting work.
Slowly, people started contacting me for work; I started composing jingles! It was a small start, but I was excited! Aai–Baba weren’t on social media, so they’d wonder what I was doing all day. I wanted to wait till I could show them a Yashraj Mukhate original.
Things went on like this for a while, before they changed for the better. Completely.
Then I saw Kokila Ben’s video. I worked on the audio for a day and posted it online the next day. I switched off my phone after…When I switched it on in the evening, it was ringing off the hook! Smriti ma’am shared my video, Anurag Kashyap sir DM’d me saying, “Good work”! It was a lot to process.
This one video turned Yashraj’s life around and he took what he got with both hands.
For a week, I didn’t sleep. It was all so new, I said ‘yes’ to everything: From interviews to collaborations. I was clueless and didn’t want to come across as rude. I was even invited to Lil Champs. Vishal Bhardwaj Sir and I worked on a song together; he wanted to work with me. ME!
Now, Yashraj is aware of the fickle nature of the internet fame, but constant love from people is what keeps him going. And today, even though he is not sure what life will throw at him next, he is happy, because:
Abhi toh pawri ho rahi hai!
Indeed! You can read the entire interview here: