Akhil Sachdeva
Akhil Sachdeva is an Indian playback singer, composer, and musician from Delhi, best known for his romantic and soulful contributions to Bollywood soundtracks, including the debut track "Humsafar" from the 2017 film Badrinath Ki Dulhania.[1][2] Born and raised in Delhi, Sachdeva began his musical journey in the city's nightlife scene, gaining recognition through his Sufi-rock band Nasha before transitioning to playback singing.[3][4] His breakthrough in Bollywood came with "Humsafar (Reprise)," a poignant melody picturized on Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, which he both sang and helped develop years prior to its inclusion in the film.[1] Subsequent hits solidified his position as a go-to voice for emotional ballads, such as "Tera Ban Jaunga" from the 2019 blockbuster Kabir Singh, where he served as both singer and composer alongside Tulsi Kumar.[5] Other notable tracks include contributions to films like Badhaai Ho.[6] Sachdeva has also ventured into independent music and regional genres, debuting in Punjabi with "Main Pyar Suneya Si" in 2022, and continues to release singles like "Tu Chaand Hai" in 2025.[7][8] Beyond his professional achievements, Sachdeva maintains strong ties to his Delhi roots, often describing the city as his "comfort zone" despite Mumbai's vibrant music industry.[3] In December 2020, he married his longtime girlfriend Tanya Gulla in a destination wedding at Samode Haveli in Jaipur.[9][5] In November 2025, Sachdeva and his wife welcomed their first child, a daughter.[10] Active in live performances, he has headlined events like the 2025 Buskr Chowk launch in Gurgaon, blending acoustic sets with contemporary hits.[11]Early life and education
Birth and family background
Akhil Sachdeva was born into a middle-class family in Delhi, India, of Punjabi background, where he spent his formative years amid financial challenges that shaped his resilient outlook.[12][13] Raised in a supportive household, he received unconditional encouragement from his family, who prioritized love and backing for his interests despite economic constraints.[12] From a young age, Sachdeva's exposure to music stemmed from Delhi's vibrant cultural scene and family environment, leading him to embrace it fully by age 11 as a source of joy amid family difficulties.[12]Academic pursuits and initial musical interests
Akhil Sachdeva pursued a Bachelor's degree with Honors in Economics at the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi, where he graduated as an economics major.[14] During his college years, he balanced rigorous academic demands with his growing passion for music, often dedicating time outside classes to hone his skills independently.[15] Sachdeva's initial musical interests emerged as a self-taught pursuit, without any formal training. He composed his early pieces informally, drawing from personal emotions to create Sufi-rock influenced tracks that reflected his inner world. This hobby provided an outlet amid academic pressures.[16] Stemming from financial constraints in his upbringing, Sachdeva persisted with music as a source of peace and happiness. His first amateur performances included winning a jam concert at a Barista outlet in Delhi NCR on Friendship Day, which earned him a small prize and boosted his confidence. These local gigs in Delhi, such as his debut paid solo show in Noida and opening for Mohit Chauhan at Patiala University in 2009, marked the spark of his professional aspirations while he was still navigating his studies.[12][16]Professional career
Entry into the music industry
After completing his bachelor's degree in economics from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Akhil Sachdeva transitioned into a full-time music career, leveraging his self-taught skills to form the Delhi-based Sufi rock band Nasha in 2009. As the lead vocalist, he performed at local jam sessions, such as those at Barista outlets on Friendship Day, where his group won regional competitions and secured initial paid gigs earning modest fees like INR 2,500 for a solo show and INR 11,000 for a Noida performance.[16][17] These early live appearances, including opening for artists like Mohit Chauhan at Patiala University, helped build his stage presence amid a challenging childhood marked by financial deprivation and lack of familial musical support.[16] Between 2014 and 2016, Sachdeva focused on independent compositions and demo recordings while navigating Mumbai's competitive music scene through frequent travels from Delhi, a routine he maintained for nearly six years starting around 2013. He penned the heartfelt track "Humsafar" during this period but held onto it for three years, seeking the ideal platform amid repeated rejections and skepticism from industry peers who doubted his unconventional path. To sustain himself financially, he took on non-film work, including composing jingles and participating in local collaborations and numerous gigs across the Delhi-NCR region.[18][3][16] His persistence paid off through key networking opportunities, such as a casual dinner meeting with filmmaker Shashank Khaitan at actress Huma Qureshi's residence around 2015, which introduced him to Bollywood circles despite ongoing hurdles like limited recognition as a newcomer. Influenced by personal hardships and audience feedback from platforms like SoundCloud—where his Sufi rendition of "Main Tenu Samjhawan" gained early popularity—Sachdeva refined his soulful, genre-blending style during these formative years.[17][16]Bollywood debut and breakthrough
Akhil Sachdeva made his Bollywood debut as a singer and composer with the track "Humsafar" for the film Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), directed by Shashank Khaitan and produced by Dharma Productions.[1][16] The song, featuring vocals by Sachdeva and Mansheel Gujral, served as a romantic ballad picturized on leads Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, marking his entry into the industry after years of independent performances and early struggles.[19][16] Sachdeva composed "Humsafar" three years prior to its release, around 2014, drawing from personal emotions to craft a melody first, followed by lyrics that emphasize themes of love, companionship, and emotional intimacy.[1][16] The track's creation process involved pitching it directly to Khaitan at a social gathering post-Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, where the director, impressed by its resonance with the film's narrative, secured approval from producer Karan Johar for its inclusion without alterations.[1][16] Sachdeva handled the composition, lyrics, and primary vocals, sharing overall music direction credits for the soundtrack with Amaal Mallik, Tanishk Bagchi, and Bappi Lahiri.[19] Upon release, "Humsafar" achieved immediate critical acclaim for its emotive depth and positive vibes, becoming a standout romantic number in the film's album, which ranked as the top Bollywood soundtrack on iTunes India for 2017.[19][20] Commercially, it topped charts as one of four consecutive hits from the movie, garnered over 69,000 Shazam searches to become the most Shazam-ed Hindi film song of the year, and amassed more than 15 million YouTube views shortly after launch, earning widespread fan praise for its heartfelt portrayal of partnership.[21][20][16] This breakthrough elevated Sachdeva's profile, establishing him as a promising talent in Bollywood's music scene through Dharma Productions' platform.[1][16]Major projects and recent developments
Akhil Sachdeva's career gained significant momentum following his breakthrough with the romantic track "Humsafar" from Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), which paved the way for more prominent Bollywood assignments.[22] One of his major milestones came in 2019 with the composition and vocals for "Tera Ban Jaunga" from Kabir Singh, a duet alongside Tulsi Kumar that became a chart-topping hit from the film's blockbuster soundtrack, amassing millions of streams and views due to its soulful melody and emotional lyrics.[23][24] The song's success, tied to the movie's commercial triumph grossing over ₹378 crore worldwide, solidified Sachdeva's reputation as a go-to composer for heartfelt romantic numbers. Building on this, Sachdeva contributed to several other notable film projects, showcasing his versatility in blending contemporary sounds with traditional elements. In 2018, he lent his voice to a special rendition of "Nain Na Jodeen" for Badhaai Ho, featured in a music video that highlighted his emotive singing style alongside model Ruhi Singh, complementing the film's popular original track.[25] This was followed by his composition and shared vocals on "Channa Ve" for Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship (2020), a haunting duet with Mansheel Gujral that added a layer of melancholy to the horror thriller's narrative.[26] More recently, in 2023, he sang "Chan Kitthan-Mere Sohneya" for Yaariyan 2, a Punjabi-infused track with Kaur B that captured the film's youthful energy and received positive reception for its fusion appeal.[27] In 2025, Sachdeva expanded his horizons through an international collaboration with Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane on the romantic single "Tu Chaand Hai," released in April, which marked a cross-border musical endeavor emphasizing themes of love transcending boundaries and was shot in Dubai.[28][29] He also performed at high-profile events, including the Nirvana 2025 cultural fest at Vidya University in March, where his live set of popular hits enthralled thousands of students, and multiple Delhi University college festivals such as Resonanz at NSUT, Eminence at various campuses, and Gargi College's event in February, fostering a strong connection with young audiences through interactive and energetic shows.[30][31][32] Amid these developments, Sachdeva has openly reflected on the industry's challenges, revealing in October 2025 that he lost several major Bollywood projects abruptly without prior notice, describing it as a harsh reality check that tested his resilience and prompted deeper introspection on the unpredictable nature of film music opportunities.[33] In November 2025, Sachdeva released the music video "Dil Tera Tutega," a soulful track featuring Aly Goni and Jasmin Bhasin. He also performed at the Khasdar Sanskrutik Mahotsav in Nagpur on November 12, captivating the audience with his hits.[34][10]Discography
Film soundtracks
Akhil Sachdeva has made significant contributions to Bollywood film soundtracks as both a singer and composer, beginning with his debut in romantic compositions that quickly gained popularity. His work often features soulful melodies blending classical influences with contemporary production, earning acclaim for emotional depth in romantic and dramatic contexts.[35] In 2017, Sachdeva composed, wrote lyrics for, and sang "Humsafar" (also known as "Sun Mere Humsafar") for Badrinath Ki Dulhania, a romantic ballad featuring co-singer Mansheel Gujral; the track topped charts and amassed over 546 million YouTube views, establishing his signature style of heartfelt duets.[36][37] He also delivered the reprise version of "Humsafar," which reinforced the film's emotional narrative with a stripped-down acoustic arrangement.[38] For Badhaai Ho (2018), Sachdeva lent his voice to a recreated version of "Nain Na Jodeen," a romantic track originally from the film but reimagined as a standalone single with model Ruhi Singh; composed by Rochak Kohli, it highlighted Sachdeva's versatility in adapting folk-inspired melodies to modern pop.[6][39] Sachdeva's breakthrough came with "Tera Ban Jaunga" from Kabir Singh (2019), where he composed and sang alongside Tulsi Kumar, with lyrics by Kumaar; the poignant love anthem dominated music charts, exceeding 300 million Spotify streams and becoming one of the year's top Bollywood tracks.[40][41] In 2020, he composed, wrote, and performed "Channa Ve" for the horror film Bhoot – Part One: The Haunted Ship, duetting with Mansheel Gujral to create a haunting yet melodic piece that served as the movie's sole song; it garnered over 304 million YouTube views despite the film's niche genre.[42][43] For Yaariyan 2 (2023), Sachdeva sang "Chan Kitthan" (also titled "Mere Sohneya") with Kaur B, composed by Abhijit Vaghani; this upbeat romantic track added a youthful energy to the ensemble soundtrack, reflecting his growing range in party anthems.[44]| Film | Song | Year | Sachdeva's Role | Co-Artists | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badrinath Ki Dulhania | Humsafar (Sun Mere Humsafar) | 2017 | Composer, Lyricist, Singer | Mansheel Gujral | Over 546M YouTube views; chart-topper[36] |
| Badrinath Ki Dulhania | Humsafar (Reprise) | 2017 | Composer, Singer | None | Enhanced film's emotional arc[38] |
| Badhaai Ho | Nain Na Jodeen (Recreated Version) | 2018 | Singer | None (video with Ruhi Singh) | Romantic remake; popular single[39] |
| Kabir Singh | Tera Ban Jaunga | 2019 | Composer, Singer | Tulsi Kumar | 300M+ Spotify streams; year's top track[41] |
| Bhoot – Part One: The Haunted Ship | Channa Ve | 2020 | Composer, Lyricist, Singer | Mansheel Gujral | 304M+ YouTube views; film's only song[43] |
| Yaariyan 2 | Chan Kitthan (Mere Sohneya) | 2023 | Singer | Kaur B | Upbeat addition to soundtrack[44] |