Top Indian Songs of the week 21st June 2026

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 21st June 2026

1. Tere Paas Main

Vocals: Vipin Aneja, Deepali Sahay

Lyrics: Irshad Khamil

Music composed and arranged by A. R. Rahman

Language: Hindi

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Serene

Just when you think of writing AR Rahman off, he comes up with something good and heartfelt, like this album ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’, almost like these are the words of AR Rahman to his doubters like me. It feels like Arnold in Terminator, saying, “I'll be back, trust me”. After a couple of below-average albums, this one did impress, and this particular song, ‘Tere Paas Main’, is so tender, and it starts to kindle feelings of love from deep within our hearts. The song has two versions, and they are both beautifully sung, the female version  by Deepali Sahay and the male version by Vipin Aneja. 

The strings section by the Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague, is followed by a mild and mellifluous clarinet, and the melody of this song by now is already etched in your heart. “Jaise Tu Hai Paas Mere”, with his fresh and splendid voice, Vipin only takes a few nights to make a mark. There is an element of innocence in his tone, and that works for protagonists like the one in this love story. The melody is beautiful, but it is not entirely unheard of, as we are reminded of this gem by Shankar-Jaikishan, “Hum Tere Pyaar Mein Sara Aalam Kho Baithe”, sung like an unforgettable dream by Lata Mangeshkar. The strings continue to play in the background, with minimal production. The interlude is when I realise there may be some influences of Raag Desh. From time to time, the melody also reminded me of “Agar Tum Saath Ho” from ‘Tamasha’

Sai Shravanam gives a masterclass on the Tabla as we head into the Antara, and when Vipin evocatively sings “ Jhoot hai yeh dooriyan”, these notes remind me of another soulful melody “, Sara Pyaar Tumhara” sung by Asha Bhonsle and Kishore Kumar, composed by Shyamal Mitra. The lines from the Antara of that old masterpiece “Dekh ke teri Surat, Mitt Jaati Hai EK Hi Pal Main” are what I keep going back to listening to this Antara by AR Rahman and Vipin. His singing is calm and makes no attempt to add frills, and that is what shines through in this song, just like the great Kishore Da. 

The instrumental arrangements are more diverse and stunning in the female version, with Naveen’s flute solo, the unmistakable piano and constant guitar strumming by Shrey Gupta. Deepali Sahay reaches right into your heart, and she almost brings tears with her solo aalap in the interlude. Here harkatein on the chorus line is stunning. We get a fine interlude by the amazing Rohan Prasanna on the Sarod, once again rendering those influences of Raag Desh. This version also stands out for its second Antara, which has a modified melody “chahe bada lo, chahe ghata lo, kaajal nahin main, gaalon ka til hoon, mittha nahin main, kitna mita lo” feels so pure and pristine thanks to Irshad’s words and Deepali’s playful, teasing delivery. 

Shubham Bhat and Marisakthi are the additional programmers, with Hiral Viradia as the music supervisor. The engineers on board are Karthik Sekaran and Suresh Permal. 

@arrahman @saishravanam @vipinanejaofficial @deepalisahay @rohanprasanna @irsdhaskamilofficial @shubham_bhat07 @marisakthi @praguephilharmonic @thatfingerstyleguitarist @hiral_viradia @sureshpermal @sekarankarthik 

2. I can get Hungry

Composed, Arranged and Produced by Santhosh Narayanan

Rap written and performed by RANJ

Telugu lyrics: Rehman

vocals: Punya Selva

Backing vocals: Aparna Harikumar, Padmaja Sreenivasan

Genre: Alt Hip Hop

Mood: Energetic

I watched the movie ‘Maa INti Bangaram’, and even if you know that the composer is Santhosh Naryanan and his iconic BGM tracks will come and pulverise you, he always leaves you surprised and shocked because a few tracks hit you hard,  thanks to sheer sound, scoring prowess and impact that this composer creates. It has happened in countless movies by him, and here, when Samantha climbs onto a bus full of thugs, I knew a belligerent fight sequence was on; little did I know that I would have goosebumps listening to the background music. This rising star RANJ, is the voice behind that intro and prolonged Rap segment, and I can only say, remember her name. Santhosh uses the piano as the only sound, along with this mesmerising style of vocals that RANJ employs. “Ooh, a wounded woman is a weapon, end you every generation, even after she just had you screaming’ truce’. Go back, boys, with your tail between your legs, is my advice to any thugs if they hear this. 

We get into some hardcore electronic and techno sounds to accompany and elevate the energy of the fight, but even now, I am still stunned from the intro vocals as Samantha adjusts her Saree and holds on to a railing, ready to kick some serious butt. The heavy Telugu lines create the aggravation with a nice folkish ring to the melody, performed by Punya Selva with Aparna Harikumar and Padmaja Sreenivasan as backing vocalists. This segment was written by Rehman and feels like Samantha’s entire tribe of women egging her on from behind. Is it a mouth trumpet or a Kazoo that plays an interludal melody? After that, RANJ brings the house down with her attitude, her delivery, and there is nothing more musically orgasmic than listening to her write and perform her own rap lines. 

She is miles and miles ahead of everyone in this race to be India’s most devastatingly good Hip-Hop artist. The secret sauce that makes her rap spicy, tangy and delicious is her writing. Listen to this, y’all, as she goes “ Never Scared, never leaving, I'm a chandelier , way I break up a ceiling”. If you are a man and you stand next to her, even dreaming of some trouble , just hear her out, “I didn't work this hard just to be some food, tell a girl she can't, she gon make it move”. RANJ keeps modifying the intensity and style, but where she stands out from the crowd and decimates everyone is when we get to this part “I don't usually race, but I could get hungry”, especially that stress and delayed delivery of the word “race”.

Santhosh Narayanan beautifully employs her gusto, adds some class with the Piano, gets on board some bombastic folkish vocals and gives us one tasty dish, because I can get hungry too. I also love how RANJ inserts her name in the lyrics with “ Tell ‘em Ranj just came to conquer”. The tracks are mixed by Santhosh, and RK Sundar is teh recording engineer. 

3. Thehro Dekhenge Hum Kab Tak

Composed, Arranged and produced by Amit Trivedi

Lyrics by Javed Akhtar

Vocals: Javed Ali

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock fusion

Mood: Energetic

Nothing brings joy like a legendary composer getting back on the wagon and giving the music lover a treat for the ears. We have already had AR Rahman with a fine song this week, and here comes another maverick in Amit Trivedi, who has created a nice album in “Governor”. This is my favourite song from the movie, and there is also another beautiful pop number performed by Shashwat Singh. This song is a masterclass in vocals by JAved Ali, who, according to me, is only getting better and better, especially in the last couple of years; he has become unstoppable. I request you to stop reading this review right now, go to the song and listen to it, every note, every harkat, and you will know why Indian film music needs more such playback singers.

The intro is proof of what this man is capable of , in that high pitch with immaculate control, and one cannot thank and appreciate Amit Trivedi enough for picking Javed for a song that he truly deserves and fits.  The melody immediately sparks off a thought in my head , is this Shubhapanthuvarali Ragam (in Carnatic classical) or maybe Raag Todi (in Hindustani, even Miyaan Ki Todi). The tempo is like a train speeding ahead, and Amit adds some rock and heavy metal elements, fusing with the classical melody. The electric guitar and drums combine like strawberries and chocolate. The lyrics are penned by the one and only Jabved Akhtar ji. “Kuck na kuch toh karna hoga, jeena hai toh marna hoga”, says the poet. We get some ethnic strings and violins in the interlude, and Amit never lets the energy drop as we get a delicious Antara, aided by nice choral humming portions too. 

The stupendous exhibition comes after the 3rd minute, as Javed sings the chorus segment with such class, delivering impossible harkatein with great ease. The strings pile up the pain playing the same melody, and the percussion becomes exuberant, and for the final act, the lead guitar solo is pure mastery. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Chinmay Mestry, and the recording engineer is Chinmay, assisted by Abhishek Vishnu Dhandekar. 

4. Night Turns

Vocals: Karsh Kale, Benny Dayal

Lyrics: John Shannon & Karsh Kale

Music composed by Karsh Kale

Music Produced by Gaurav Raina and Karsh Kale

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Rock

Mood: Energetic

I recently listened to this album called ‘Dust’ by Karsh Kale, and it was absolutely top-drawer stuff. Please go and check out the album review on my IG page @extragavanza . This is one of my favourite tracks from the album, and the initial vocal portion reminds me of “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits when we hear ‘I want my MTV’.  Feel the pulsating electric guitars by Warren Mendonsa and some mild percussion, with Karsh playing the Tabla and what follows as the riff on guitars makes me feel like I am listening to a part of “Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me” by U2. Karsh Kale is performing the lead vocals, but he is backed up brilliantly by John Shannon and Ankur Tewari. I love the line “No such thing as forever”, with lyrics co-written by John Shannon and Karsh Kale. 

I am entirely mesmerised when we get to the chorus segment “ I know you wanna stay up all night, and feel teh burn, I know we’re gonna be feeling alright, when the night turns” which is the highlight for me from a melodic standpoint. Karsh composes this blissful melody, and Gaurav Rain and Karsh handle music production, with basslines provided by Karsh. Listen to the meditative madness created by Warren on the lead guitar counterpoints in the background. The high-pitched vocalisation in the interlude turns haunting. Just like Karsh sings “ I know you're gonna remember things, Warren treats us to a memorable lead guitar solo exhibition. Benny Dayal comes on for a classical vocal cameo and leaves us  wanting more of this aalap. Ajay Prasanna can be heard with his mellifluous Bansuri. 

@groovio @ankurtewari @bennydayalofficial @johnshannonmusic @karshkale @ajayprasannaflute 

5. Sula De Na ma

Vocals: Sneha Shankar

Composed and Produced by Aman Pant

Lyrics: Manoj Tapadia

Language: Hindi

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Mild Pathos

The Rubab plays in the intro, and we are intrigued by its calming presence and its classical touch. Sneha Shankar comes on board with that delightful aalap, giving more weight to the classical nature of this melody. She is an absolute champion, and Aman Pant deserves appreciation for picking her and giving her a song she deserves, too. Sneha keeps it gentle, and the harkatein are like a magician using a wand. “ek bure sapne se” is a point in case. The singing is immaculate with an alto range, and with the mild Duff and the guitars, we do feel this powerful lullaby actually rocking us away like a cradle.

The interlude has this humming, and it sounds pristine and palliative like a mother’s song to her child. The Sarangi comes on and adds a bit more melancholy. “Saidyon se jaise, jagte hi aayen hai” is when I felt a sense of Raag Bihag, or maybe Raag Bilawal in the melody. The introduction of the sitar in the outro is another beautiful addition. The guitars are by Veljon Noronha, and the tracks are mixed and mastered by Shadab Rayeen. There are times I am reminded of “Agar Tum Saath Ho” by AR Rahman from the album ‘Tamasha’. 

@amanpant02 @snehashankarofficial @khushkhandosh_khaanabadosh @ramilganjoo @johnpaul.india @shadabrayeen @zeemusiccompany @shobin_joy @vedant_uttarkar 

6. Gareeb

Composed and Sung by Dhruv Visvanath

Lyrics: Chakori Dwivedi

Music produced by Dhruv Visvanath

Language: Hindi

genre: Pop

Mood: Lullaby

Dhruv Visvanath is a true gem, working tirelessly to create original music and be unbound by the shackles of popular music and the entertainment industry as a whole. I have always loved his indie single in the English space, and this is my first experience of Dhruv performing in Hindi; well, it ain't bad at all. The lyrics are penned by Chakori Dwivedi, and Dhruv composes the melody, performs the lead vocals, and handles the sound design and music production. Are you swayed away into a peaceful, transient state when you hear the rhythm guitar played by Dhruv?

His voice feels like it is so vulnerable right now, and that is why the lyrics by Chakori and the slow tempo work beautifully together as a lullaby. “Hai mere Sapne , yeh Na Samajthe”, and you connect and feel the pain of the protagonist. His singing carries the burden of his words, and that is what makes a great singer. “chhoti hai chhadhar, pair phisalte” makes you see the picture in front of your eyes. A hauntingly mellow, tender humming, accompanied by guitars, elevates this interlude. The second verse gets two more pristine elements added, like the harmonies and the piano, and as he sings “ ek ankahi si kahani main likh doon”, you are set and tuned to hear the rest of this story. 

When he hits the line “bas hto hi ho piya”, this becomes a segment of self-propagating magnetism, with the vocals, harmonies, guitars, and keys combining like the perfect recipe. His vocalisation, three guitar notes, and a pause create so much awe, and a line to finish it, like icing on the cake: “bas tera saath ho, phir kya gham hai.” Kudos to Dhruv, a singer/songwriter par excellence. Aprajita Chowdhury creates this eye. 

@mrdhruvv @_aprajitachowdhury @chakoridwivedi

7. Neram

Composed and Sung by Gokul Krishna

Lyrics: Sabarinath K

Produced by Suraj Nharakunnat, Adarsh Narayanan

Addnl Production: Manav Sheth

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Semi-classical Rock 

Mood: Immersive

I heard this song a few days ago, and I was stunned by its quality, and then realised this young lad is making his debut along with some incredibly fresh, talented artists. I am not sure how many, but a lot of these are students at AR Rahman’s KMMC. The acoustic guitar by Sahir Badusha plays like the rhythm guitar, and the solo violin by Atul Joshi is extremely efficient at delivering a strong sense of pathos. Yet the wildly variant moods of the guitar and violin work well together. Gokul Krishna is the singer/songwriter in focus, and the song’s tone immediately strikes me like something that would come out of the Sushin Shyam repertoire, and this is purely meant to be a compliment. 

The melody is composed by Gokul, and I love the tone of his voice too. The song is produced by Suraj Nharakunnat and Adarsh Narayanan (additional production by Manav Sheth), and they immediately enhance the impact with the harmonies in the background. A long list of singers handles the choral part beautifully. The choir is arranged by Padma Niranjana, Deb Tanu Dutta, Gokul, and Suraj. Is there a hint of Raag Jog (or maybe Chala Naatai in Carnatic)? Nikhil Arvind starts playing the Tabla, and we have an infusion of rock identities thanks to Xein Xtinas Music and Aditya Solanki. Atul Joshi comes and goes with his perfectly timed (Neram) interventions and counterpoints. We have some fantastic words written by Sabarinath K.

He extends his brilliance to the interlude, and this is stunning and soulful, taking us back to Maestro Ilaiyaraja’s midblowing numbers like “ Pani Vizhhum”. Gokul keeps his vocal delivery extremely soft and mellow, and that works because he has the drums, by Wungrito Yimkhiung , electric guitar and harmonies to enliven and lift spirits. The live drums composition is by Shrikar, and we also have the classical guitar by Aadik Sahu and bass by Joseph John, playing in the background, tempered and unnoticed. Kudos to Netra Mani for conducting the choir session and Narmada K Deb for the vocal production. The bridge section is where Gokul explores his vocal range, and the classical guitar comes to the fore. 

The recording engineers are Adarsh and Thanushree at Synergy, Reengara and 2bq Studios. DO check out the amazing music video directed by Arabind Sudhir with Sreekanth Sivadasan as the DOP. 

@thegokulkrishnaaa @snyydemusic @rdashmusic @dustys_music @narmada_k_s @__rickyy.d @mixedbyrdash @padma.niranjana @sabari__nath @athuljoshii @nikhilaravind.wav @pjaaaaayyyy @wngrto_ @xein_0830 @netramani_ @saniya_thomas_kaitaparambil_ @reniehehe @human.voicebox

8. Tere Bina

Written and performed by Mausiq

Music produced by Udit Saxena

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Immersive

Udit Saxena has always delivered something fresh and engaging over the years, and his solo act, called Mausiq, is out with a 7th single. This one hits the right notes from the very beginning. The vocals get to you with that intense vulnerability in his tone, and the rhythm guitar plays on without ever intruding or guiding us somewhere else.  “Dil kahan reh paayega, roobaroo tujh ko main, haal-e-dil sunaunga”, he sings, and the heart just floats around cloud nine. Just when we get to the pre-chorus and chorus segments, Udit nicely adds the harmonies to elevate the impact, and this feels like a 1000 voices singing “tere Bina” as the man reaches out to his lover. 

The Tabla and the rhythm programming work well together, mixing two variant worlds, and there is a certain calmness that comes about when we hear the Sarod, and that is followed by an inherent pathos and longing of the Sarangi. Maybe these arrangements are Udit’s way of describing love itself, the joy and pain that come along with it like a package. The female humming in the background comes on perfectly placed after Mausiq sings “ tujh bin dil ko kaise manaoon?”, as though the female is coming on to calm his nerves down and pacify the lover. I like how he modifies the “tere Bina” phrases every time as he sings them multiple times in the chorus segment. A lead guitar solo is one of the strongest highlights of this song as it truly sets the stage on fire. I believe there is some Bilawal Thaat influence in the melody, and we are left with a mild scar of sadness as the wong ends with “Tu Laut aa” sung by Mausiq with despair in his voice. 

@mausiq @uditsaxena