The thought of revealing my struggles to my friends or family was unbearable—a truth I’ve kept hidden to this day. For a considerable period, the roadside became my home. Though challenging, I discovered unexpected beauty in those circumstances” — Harsh Upadhyay, music composer

Aman Jain

Harsh Upadhyay made his debut as a solo music composer with Remo D’Souza’s Be Happy, starring Abhishek Bachchan, now streaming on Amazon Prime. His journey is nothing short of inspiring — from dropping out of engineering to facing homelessness in Mumbai, Harsh spent over a decade working his way up the music industry.

In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal, he opened up about this incredible transformation. Having previously worked on projects like Street Dancer 3D and Uri: The Surgical Strike, Harsh now leads the Be Happy soundtrack, collaborating with big names like Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan. Excerpts:

Q. Can you share your experience of moving to Mumbai and the challenges you faced during your early days?

A. I arrived in Mumbai with nowhere to stay. Initially, my friends offered temporary shelter, but soon I found myself on the streets, carrying only a small bag of belongings. Driven by an unbreakable spirit, I was determined to achieve my dreams, regardless of the obstacles. The thought of revealing my struggles to my friends or family was unbearable—a truth I’ve kept hidden to this day. For a considerable period, the roadside became my home.

Though challenging, I discovered unexpected beauty in those circumstances. Local vendors—chaiwala uncles, a neighbourhood tailor and a watchman—became my unexpected support system and closest companions. We still maintain our connection. The burning passion for my goals became my primary sustenance. After extensive struggles, a pivotal moment arrived when Shailesh Sir offered me my first break as a music producer for dance reality shows and generously provided me a place to stay—my studio room. T

hat studio, which I fondly call my first home, became my sanctuary for the next 14 years. I lived and breathed music, working tirelessly on reality shows and award programmes—virtually every major production. My remixes became legendary on dance floors. While I might have been relatively unknown in the broader music world, within the dance industry—where choreographers are like family—my reputation was firmly established.

Q. How did your collaboration with Remo D’Souza on Be Happy come about?

A. From my arrival in Mumbai, Remo Sir was a significant figure—a judge and choreographer in numerous shared projects. Our collaboration began when he choreographed award shows, and I would create tracks for his performances.

The breakthrough came with ABCD, where I produced all the dance music for ABCD, ABCD 2, and Street Dancer. Although I didn’t secure a full song in those films, my determination never wavered. Looking back, it seemed Remo Sir was methodically preparing me, guiding my journey from music producer to music composer. Now, becoming the music director for Be Happy, directed by Remo Sir, feels like an absolute dream come true.