The Slumdog Composer: How Shantabai Creator Found Fame

Sanjay Londhe’s song went viral this Ganesh Chaturthi. But will it turn the fortunes of this slumdog composer?

Few things get musicians more nervous and excited than overnight success. Sanjay Londhe, composer of the hit “item song” Shantabai would know.

It isn’t overnight success in the strictest sense. The song was first created by Londhe as a lullaby for his daughter almost twenty years ago. When in dire need of money for the treatment of his ailing brother, he sold it to Sumeet music company earlier this year for Rs. 25,000.

Londhe named the song after his paternal aunt, Shanta Bai, who he admired for her strength. But the music company interpreted it as a racy number with a sexy Shanta Bai, thumkas included.

The song made a dramatic entry during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in September this year, playing at almost every pandal with thousands of people dancing to it. With that, the song that Londhe had sold and forgotten about, made a reentry into its creator’s life.

Now, TV channels were interviewing him, local dailies began profiling him, and with that Londhe became an accidental star.

“Is this all a dream or reality?”, Londhe, who is in his mid- fifties, said to a paper.

Londhe lives in a slum area in Rajewadi, at Nanapeth in Pune, in a small 8x10 feet room. Londhe, who is educated till the seventh standard, said he uses phrases that are commonly used by people in his songs, and that the masses find relatable.

Londhe is now singing bhajans at temples and jingles for political events on the side. The man hopes that his song’s unexpected popularity will turn his fortunes. For now, his Facebook page has a few hundred likes...and counting.