Happy Birthday, Badshah: From one-hit wonder to India¡¯s hit machine, rapper¡¯s struggle to success deserves biopic

Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia, popularly known as Badshah, is a name synonymous with chart-busting rap anthems in India. With his infectious beats and catchy lyrics, Badshah has become a household name in the Indian music industry. However, his journey from a small-town boy to ruling the Indian music scene was far from easy. Behind all that glam we see today, a small-town dreamer was working hard yesterday.

Badshah¡¯s early life and family background

Born on November 19, 1985, in a Delhi-based middle-class Punjabi family, Badshah was initially drawn toward engineering and pursued his education at Chandigarh¡¯s PEC University of Technology. But his love for music overshadowed everything around him. His family was sceptical at first but later supported his dream seeing his passion and dedication.

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Badshah often credits his mother for igniting a love for Punjabi culture in him and his father for his practical approach to life. However, the rapper¡¯s journey to stardom wasn¡¯t a cakewalk. Before the massive fame, Badshah started as a member of the underground music scene, collaborated with fellow artists and performed at local events.

In 2006, he joined the group Mafia Mundeer led by Honey Singh and this partnership actually proved to be a turning point as he started his first taste of recognition. The songs originating from that group including Gabru, Haye Mera Dil, Glassi, Get Up Jawani, and Siftaan pushed Punjabi music to a whole another level.

However, soon creative differences led Badshah to part ways with the group and it kickstarted his solo music career. His early years were met with several challenges including financial instability, lack of industry connections, and the pressure to create a unique identity in a highly competitive field.

Badshah¡¯s breakthrough

The rapper eventually started slipping into the music scene and gave Bollywood songs like Saturday Saturday (featured in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania) and Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai (Khoobsurat). His blend of Hindi, Punjabi, and English lyrics struck a chord with the youth and made him a party favourite artist. Some of his other chartbusters included Kar Gayi Chull, DJ Waley Babu, Genda Phool, Paani Paani, and Mercy.

Badshah¡¯s struggle with mental health issues

In an interview with The Lallantop, the 39-year-old revealed how his anxiety got triggered after watching Lootera (2014). "I watched Lootera and got depressed and had a lot of anxiety. I took a double dose of all my medicines.¡± He then recalled a London incident when he felt he was having a heart attack. ¡°I went out and started running on the road. I took two sleeping pills and slept that night. In the morning, I found out it was a panic attack.¡±

Badshah in the same interview recalled telling his sister, ¡°Mujhe bachaa le, mujhe kuch ho raha hai.¡± However, it took some time for him to recover from all his mental health issues and what makes him even fans¡¯ favourite is that the musician continued doing what he loves - making music - while he was struggling personally.

From the streets of Delhi to the global stage, Badshah¡¯s evolution as an artist is nothing short of extraordinary and worth making a biopic. As he continues to experiment with new sounds and collaborations, one thing remains certain: Badshah isn¡¯t just a rapper; he¡¯s a movement and it¡¯s not stopping anytime soon.

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