At 28, multi-hyphenate artiste Akash Chopra is still struggling to find his footing in the Hindi film music industry. The singer, songwriter and composer, has been in Mumbai for the last seven months, assisting a leading musical duo. Prior to that, the certified guitar teacher from the Trinity School of Music in London, worked as musical educator in his hometown Jaipur. The average salary for a music teacher there is around Rs 20,000 a month. “As a fresher, you are paid far less... around Rs 10,000,” says Chopra, who decided to move cities, after facing a severe financial crunch during the 2020 pandemic.    
    
One would imagine that the shift to Mumbai, and working in Bollywood, would have brought a change in fortune. “No, unfortunately,” says Chopra, when we meet him at his rented apartment in Versova, where he shares a room with a friend. “It doesn’t matter which city you are in, if you are an independent musician, you will never earn enough...  As an artiste, you have to dabble in multiple things to bring food to the table.”  

Samuel Berlie