The Royals' composer Harsh Upadhay: ‘It took me 16 years to get here’

In a city where dreams often come with a price, few stories are as inspiring as that of Harsh Upadhyay, who went from being homeless in Mumbai to working with some of the biggest names in Bollywood. His journey wasn’t built overnight—it was shaped by persistence, belief, and an unwavering focus on his goals. “Never lose hope. Put less focus on your problems and more on your ambitions and what you want to become. It’s patience and perseverance that make the difference. It took me 16 years to get here. If you’re determined, your chance will come,” he says.

Years of producing music for dance reality shows and behind-the-scenes projects laid the foundation for his big leap. Years of working in dance-based productions also influenced his musical style. “Making 10 tracks a day for reality shows was tough, but it trained me to adapt and experiment. It kept the dream alive,” he tells us.

His long-time collaboration with Remo D’Souza, which began with choreographing award shows and extended into films like ABCD, ABCD 2, and Street Dancer, came full circle with Be Happy, which released in March earlier this year.

“I had been creating music for Remo sir’s projects for years, but never got the chance to compose a full song. I always knew my time would come. Now, I’m the music director of his film—it feels like everything was preparing me for this moment,” he says.

Now, Harsh is enjoying the that success came The Royals on Netflix. “I always dreamed of creating a powerful title track for a series. And the response has been overwhelming. It’s trending globally, and people from across the world are writing in to share their love,” he says.

His upcoming work includes the emotionally driven Maa starring Kajol and the high-energy Son Of Sardar 2 with Ajay Devgn. “Each film demands a different musical language. Sad scenes need subtlety, while energetic tracks require bold rhythms. It’s about capturing the right emotion,” he ends.