Ayaan Agnihotri, also known as Agni, hails from a prestigious lineage including his grandfather, the celebrated writer Salim Khan, and his uncles, actors Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, and Arbaaz Khan. However, Ayaan chose a path different from his family in the entertainment business by venturing into music. His recent release, “Universal Laws,” marks his debut single and demonstrates his commitment to establishing himself beyond his family’s legacy.
When asked about his choice to pursue English music instead of Hindi, Ayaan explains, “It’s mainly the language that I think and speak in more fluently; that’s why English. Also, the music that inspired me and the music I listened to was in English. It’s easier for me to express myself in English, hence that as my music choice.” His dedication to making his mark in the music industry is evident in his pursuit of English songs, even amidst debates about language preference within his family.
Salman Khan, often a guiding influence in his family, had recently advised Ayaan’s cousin, Arhaan Khan, and friends on their podcast about the importance of fluency in Hindi when addressing an Indian audience. Ayaan reflects on this perspective, saying, “I agree with it, but from where I am standing, for me, this is the tougher and bigger battle. At the end of the day, English is the language of the world. There’s a much larger audience base for me internationally doing English music than doing Hindi music. That’s something that I really want to push for and fight for. This is where my heart is, this is what I love and what I want to do.”
Ayaan acknowledges the versatility required in music, admitting, “It’s not difficult for me to transition into doing Hindi music. I’ve done a song with Himesh Reshammiya and have a song with Sajid-Wajid in Hindi as well. But I’m trying to, at my level, delay them as much as possible because I just want an opportunity for my music that I am so passionate about and I spent so much time developing. I’m very happy to do Hindi music later as well. But I wanted a fair shot at trying to establish myself at this too because if I do Hindi first and get accepted there, I don’t know if I would ever get accepted in English.”
Despite the advantage of coming from a prominent family, Ayaan’s journey was not without its challenges. It took him eight years to identify the right producer and bring his music to the forefront. He shares, “I kept my writing and music very confidential because even though I had a fond passion for it, I didn’t feel that I was there yet. I knew I sounded bad, and my accent was heavier. It didn’t sound appropriate for the format. I knew my delivery wasn’t as good and my breath control wasn’t great. There was a lot of scope for improvement. If I’m going to go out there and tell everybody that this is what I’m going to do, then I better be good at it. And that’s why it was eight years of just refining.”
Salman Khan played a pivotal role in encouraging Ayaan to embrace the public with his music. Ayaan recounts a moment at Salman’s farm in Panvel, where he performed a piece from his EP during a family gathering. Salman appreciated the performance and advised him to share his music more openly. Ayaan recalls Salman saying, “One night, we were all in Panvel and the family was just chilling. I happened to perform this one song that was from my EP. It was just a hook then, not the whole song, and he really liked it. He asked me what will you do hiding it? Perform for everybody, sing for everybody, so you can get everybody’s opinion because there’ll be a lot of people who will tell you it’s nice and don’t think so. There’ll be a lot of people who think it’s nice and will not tell you so. All you have to do is make sure that you keep pushing yourself and letting people know that this is it. You will keep learning and growing, and you will keep getting better. The element of people telling you how they feel, what they think is the next element that you need to embrace.”
Salman Khan’s advice to Ayaan highlighted the significance of audience feedback and continuous growth in an artist’s journey. This counsel has undoubtedly shaped Ayaan’s approach to his music career, propelling him into the public eye with his unique sound and dedication to creating music that genuinely resonates with him.
