From Local Trains to the Big Screen: The Voice of Suneel Lodhi That India Cannot Stop Listening To

Sagar, Madhya Pradesh | He could not see his audience. He had no stage, no microphone, no music teacher, and no recording studio. All he had was a tambura in his hands, a bhajan on his lips, and a train full of strangers in front of him.

Today, that very same voice is echoing across cinema halls throughout India.

Suneel Lodhi, a 25-year-old visually impaired singer from Bundelkhand, is captivating the nation with his soulful rendition in the Hindi feature film Hanuman Ansh. His song, “Maine Tere Hi Bharose,” has rapidly emerged as one of the most talked-about devotional tracks of 2026.

Yet, for Suneel, this is anything but an overnight success story. It is the culmination of 14 relentless years spent performing in remote villages, aboard local trains, and at small religious gatherings long before anyone outside Bundelkhand knew his name.

A Childhood Lived Through Sound

Suneel Lodhi was born visually impaired in Agra village, located in the Surkhi area of Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh. He grew up in a modest family dependent on agriculture and livestock, owning only a small parcel of land.

His parents made every effort to seek medical treatment for his eyesight, but it could not be restored. Coupled with severe financial constraints, his visual impairment also prevented him from pursuing formal education.

What Suneel did possess, however, was an acute sensitivity to sound. He learned music the way generations of children in Bundelkhand have learned folk traditions: by listening, memorizing, and repeating. He never received formal training.

"I have not been able to see since childhood," Suneel shared in a recent interview. "I never received any formal training and I don't have a coach. It was through the grace of revered Lata ji that I kept listening to her songs. I would then sing at devotional gatherings in the village."

The legendary Lata Mangeshkar became his unseen guru. Suneel listened to her recordings repeatedly—studying the sur (pitch), the emotion, and the subtle pauses between words—before rendering them in his raw, earthy Bundeli style. That deep listening became his school.

The Tambura That Changed Everything

At around 10 or 11 years old, Suneel began singing Bundeli folk songs and Hanuman bhajans across local villages and train coaches. He was rarely seen without a traditional tambura—the long-necked stringed instrument central to the regional devotional music of Bundelkhand.

"I used to sing on the tambura," Suneel recalled in an interview with the Hindustan Times.

According to reports, his first tambura arrived as a gift of faith. As a child, Suneel eagerly awaited the arrival of bhajan mandalis—traveling troupes of artists who moved from village to village. Impressed by the young, sightless boy who kept perfect rhythm without missing a single beat, an elderly singer from one of the troupes handed Suneel his own instrument, saying: "This belongs to you now."

From that day forward, the tambura was his constant companion. Whether on a crowded passenger train, at a village chaupal (gathering place), or inside a local temple, Suneel sang, and people stopped to listen.

His early life was marred by prejudice. Speaking to ThePrint, Suneel revealed that he was treated as a bad omen in his village for years; some villagers would even change their paths if they encountered him in the morning. Being blind was treated almost like a stigma. Music did not erase that deep pain, but it offered him a sacred space where he was judged solely by his voice—a voice that never failed to move its listeners.

Bundeli Duniya: When a Phone Camera Became a Stage

The major turning point in Suneel’s journey arrived in 2019, driven by family support.

Suneel met his uncle, Rohit Sahu, a digital creator who ran the YouTube channel Bundeli Duniya to showcase the rich cultural folk arts of the Bundelkhand region. Recognizing Suneel’s raw talent, Rohit began recording his performances using a smartphone—starting with a simple video shot on the roof of their home.

"I had been singing songs for the Bundeli Duniya page," Suneel explained. "That is where my Bundeli songs started getting noticed."

An early video, “Dula Ban Ke Aa Gai,” accumulated hundreds of thousands of views. In 2023, another track, “Dulha Bankar Aa Gav Thela, Hai Motar Ko Byav,” garnered nearly 900,000 views. This digital visibility led to local performance invitations and crucial income to support his family. However, the song that would transform his life on a national scale was yet to come.

The Bhajan That Surpassed 30 Million Views

Recorded simply with Suneel’s voice and his trusted tambura, “More Sankat Ke Kataiya”—a traditional devotional song dedicated to Lord Hanuman—was uploaded to Bundeli Duniya. There was no studio polish, no auto-tune, and no heavy sound production. It was pure, unadulterated devotional music.

The video went viral, crossing 29 million views rapidly and eventually surpassing 33 million across multiple platforms. Its authentic rawness captured immediate attention online.

This recording caught the ear of Mumbai-based music producer Pankaj VRK.

"I have been working on YouTube for around three years," Pankaj told The Times of India. "'More Sankat Ke Kataiya' sounded good in his voice, so I wanted to contact him."

After tracking down Suneel’s contact details, Pankaj reached out, initiating the next chapter of the young singer's life.

The Call from Mumbai

Suneel first traveled to Indore, a milestone trip that eventually opened doors to Mumbai. Upon receiving an invitation to record at Sai Baba Studio in Mumbai, he had little expectation of where it might lead.

During his studio sessions, Suneel recorded roughly eight tracks, including “Maine Tere Hi Bharose.”

"I sang it on the tambura, recorded the vocals in the studio, and came back," Suneel recounted simply. "I did not know that this song would be in a film."

The film turned out to be Hanuman Ansh, directed by Vishal Chaturvedi.

According to reports, during a trip to Mumbai in February 2026, Rohit filmed Suneel singing four lines of “Maine Tere Hi Bharose” on Versova Beach and shared it on Instagram. When Director Vishal Chaturvedi saw the clip and heard Suneel sing in person, the room fell completely silent. Chaturvedi reportedly announced instantly: "This is the voice of the film."

Even then, Suneel remained skeptical, expecting his vocals to be replaced by an established playback singer before the film's theatrical release. His voice, however, was retained untouched.

Maine Tere Hi Bharose: An Old Song, A New Audience

Released on August 7, 2026, Hanuman Ansh depicts the early spiritual journey of Neem Karoli Baba and his profound devotion to Lord Hanuman. Produced on a modest reported budget of ₹2 crore, the film opened quietly but expanded rapidly through word-of-mouth publicity, eventually grossing between ₹45 crore and ₹60 crore at the box office.

Suneel’s rendition of “Maine Tere Hi Bharose”—a soulful prayer of complete surrender—became one of the most praised aspects of the movie.

Despite the widespread acclaim, Suneel remains deeply grounded about the song's heritage. He credits traditional Bundeli folk legends who sang the composition before him, such as Chandrabhushan Pathak and Deshraj Pateria:

"More Sankat Ke Kataiya is a traditional Hanuman bhajan. I keep singing these traditional bhajans. Maine Tere Hi Bharose is also traditional... I am getting so many calls congratulating me. People are saying the song has gone viral. It feels wonderful. I want to thank God and all the people who helped me in my journey. This is 100% Hanuman ji's miracle."

What Lies Ahead

Suneel expresses a clear desire for the future: to continue singing devotional music and secure steady playback opportunities in mainstream cinema and live shows.

For decades, gifted folk artists across rural India have performed within regional boundaries, often fading into obscurity. While digital platforms gave Suneel an initial audience, Hanuman Ansh provided him with a national platform. Moving forward, sustained career support, fair compensation, proper songwriting credits for traditional artists, and ongoing industry opportunities will be essential.

Promising steps are already underway. In late 2026, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav met Suneel and his family in Bhopal, pledging state support and medical assistance for his eyesight alongside contributions from the film’s co-producers.

Suneel Lodhi’s journey highlights a broader truth about the vast, untapped talent across rural India that often goes unnoticed without formal degrees or studio access. Suneel did not learn music in a classroom; he learned it by listening to Lata Mangeshkar on a phone, by singing alongside local bhajan mandalis, and by carrying a tambura aboard local trains.

He sang when no cameras were filming. He sang when passersby avoided him. He sang when there was no promise of wealth or fame.

Now, the entire nation is listening.

Key Highlights of Suneel Lodhi's Journey