It’s not often that a song becomes your calling card; the kind that travels with you, years later, city to city and from stage to stage. But for Aseem Dhaneshwar, Khoya is exactly that. And as he performed his first-ever multi-city Khoya Tour 2025 to Hyderabad on August 10, at EXT, Film Nagar, there was an energy in his voice that was hard to miss: a mix of gratitude, excitement, and the quiet kind of confidence that comes from years of building a sound of your own. The singer talks to CE about Khoya Tour 2025, Hyderabad,upcoming music, and more.
Released during the uncertainty of the pandemic, Khoya marked one of Aseem’s first steps into independent artistry and a heartfelt collaboration with music producer Zariya that found its own way into people’s playlists and hearts. And even five years later, the track continues to grow. “Khoya has that massive recall value; the moment you ask someone, ‘Have you heard this song called Khoya?’ they start singing, ‘Tha mein khoya khud ko dhundh raha hu, kya thi manzil meri, bhuul chuka hu’. It came out during the pandemic and went viral then, which is why we named the tour after the song,” he explains.
For Hyderabad, the connection is deeper. Long before the spotlight found him, Aseem worked behind the scenes as a sound engineer, shaping the sonic experience of live shows. The city was already familiar ground, even back then. He says, “I’ve had a very close association with Hyderabad for many years. I started out in the industry in 2012 after studying music production, engineering, and post-production at Alchemea College of Audio Engineering in London. My first gig was with Coke Studio Season 3 as a sound engineer.”
And since then, Aseem has worked with artistes like Sreerama Chandra, Monali Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shalmali Kholgade, Richa Sharma, and Asees Kaur. He continues, “I’ve also mixed for Indian Ocean at ODIUM and made so many musician friends here. I was happy to share the stage with Vanishree Sahu, who’s been a close musical connection. Hyderabad is indeed special — the people, food, vibe, and of course, the biryani!” he states.
Creative vision is something Aseem doesn’t compromise on. He even designed the tour’s poster concept himself. “Since my first release Dreamscapes in 2017, I’ve been deeply involved in every piece of artwork tied to my music, from Spotify visuals to tour posters. I conceptualised the Khoya Tour 2025 poster too, drawing inspiration from monuments that represent each city, like Qutb Minar or India Gate, to create a cohesive, simple design. The main poster features all five cities as a backdrop, aligning with the tour’s aesthetic. I believe music evokes visuals, and I want the art to reflect that emotion — so even without a title, it should speak the song’s vibe. Every element is intentional and thought-through,” the singer shares.
At the concert, he performed Khoya more than once. “In every city, it’ll be Khoya, because that song is probably the reason I’m where I am today as an independent artist. It gave me the most recognition, was loved by the most people, and led many to explore my other songs. I write albums like stories, in sequences, like chapters,” Aseem says.
Hyderabad will also get a taste of his upcoming album Kaun Mai, Kya Mai, releasing September 17, which is a reflective body of work, as he puts it. “The song talks about the most existential and common question we all face as individuals. The song and album reflect that by encouraging us to look beyond ourselves, view life with a fish-eyed perspective, be compassionate, and see how small our problems really are,” Aseem notes.