When Mohit Chauhan walks onto a college stage, it rarely feels like just another performance. In Hyderabad this weekend, the air was thick with anticipation — a campus crowd waiting not just to listen, but to sing, to echo, to relive. For Mohit, who was in the city for BITS Pilani’s Pearl event, the night unfolded less like a gig and more like a shared memory in the making — thousands of young voices meeting him in unison.
Back in Hyderabad for the second time in nearly two months, the singer says the city feels less like a tour stop and more like a familiar embrace. He begins, “Feels good. I love the city and the crowd here. And especially when you come to college campuses, it’s great energy. They love music. They all sing along. For an artist, that is a great feeling — to be on stage and people singing your songs with you. I’m really happy to be here.”
It is hardly surprising that the audience sings along. From Rockstar anthems to songs that have become part of collective memory, his repertoire continues to echo across generations. When asked about the powerful response his songs receive in Hyderabad, he smiles, “Most of my songs from Rockstar, Tamasha and many more. People know the songs by heart and they sing along.”
Fans still revisit what they fondly call his ‘OG songs’ — Tum Se Hi, Kun Faya Kun, Tune Jo Na Kaha — tracks that have endured well beyond their film releases. But
Mohit refuses to claim ownership of their timelessness. “As an artist, I can’t really put a judgment to it. It’s for the audiences. They connect to music. They connect to songs. They have memories connected to songs,” he says.
He traces this intergenerational connection back to his early days with his band Silk Route. He notes, “I started off with my band called Silk Route. Our first album came out in ’98. Songs like Dooba Dooba, Boondein. And I do those songs even now on stage. People have grown up with the songs and they pass the songs on to generations. It’s a great feeling. That’s what music does — it touches your soul. And if you feel a song, then it stays with you forever.”
Often associated with soulful and romantic tracks, he points out that playback singing demands far more range than people assume. He states, “As a playback singer, I do all different kinds of songs. That’s why Hindi playback is a difficult thing to do, because when you go to a studio, you don’t know what kind of song you’re going to get.” Referring to songs such as Nadaan Parindey and Sadda Haq, he expresses, “It all depends on the movie, the song and the story. But I also make my own music and that’s where I can really do my stuff — what I feel without a story or backdrop. I’ve touched all genres, worked with most music directors in Mumbai. It’s been about 29 years now.”
Beyond music, his commitment to animal welfare has been equally steadfast. At the BITS Pilani concert, he invited animal welfare crusader Ambika Shukla, where they not only spoke about the importance of protecting animals but also led a candlelight tribute. Attendees lit candles and torches in memory of voiceless lives that were lost. He has consistently stood up for stray animals, particularly dogs — a cause that deeply moves him. “Compassion is not optional. It’s a must. It’s part of your soul if you’re a human,” he explains. His commitment found public expression when he invited animal welfare crusader Ambika Shukla to join him in lighting candles and torches in tribute to the voiceless lives lost at the recent concert. For him, culling and brutality are never the answer. He adds, “Killing them brutally is not really an answer. There are scientific methods — birth control, sterilisation and vaccination. But removing them from the streets where they’ve been living since they were born — that’s cruel.”
The concern also shaped his recent song Meri Awaaz, composed after a court verdict calling for relocation of dogs. “When the verdict came out that they’re going to relocate them, it doesn’t make sense. They’re voiceless and defenseless. It’s not bravery to hurt a defenseless, voiceless animal. It’s cowardice,” he enunciates.
He has personally been involved in feeding nearly 400 dogs for years. Eventually, the effort grew into a trust called Animals Are People. He warmly highlights, “Apart from feeding, we take care of their medical needs. In the winter, we give them bori beds to sleep on. If anybody is hurt, we take them to the hospital.”
The song, he explains, was his way of telling their story. He goes on, “I had this tune in my head. I composed it, and Prarthana, my wife, wrote the lyrics. The song was beautifully accepted. There are so many animal lovers in the country that the song really flew up — it was number one on Spotify. It’s the dogs telling their own story to the world.”
The impact that music creates, he shares, “Music has that power. Even if it changes a few hearts, it becomes a chain reaction.”
As for what lies ahead, he keeps it simple: “I’m doing some film songs.”