Hrithik Sharma On India’s New Sound: “Bollywood Is Now Blending With Afrobeats And Hip-Hop”

Hrithik Sharma, founder of Parallax Productions, embodies the rare intersection of artistry and enterprise. Introduced to music at the age of seven by his father, he has since carved a dynamic path as a music producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and audio engineer, building a reputation for both creative vision and technical mastery.

In this exclusive conversation with Loudest, Hrithik Sharma reflects on his journey from a self-taught guitarist to the founder of Parallax Productions, sharing insights on balancing creativity with precision, his key collaborations, and preserving authenticity in India’s evolving soundscape.

Here are edited excerpts:

Tell us about your journey so far?

I’ve been doing music for over 14–15 years now,  well over a decade. Interestingly, my journey didn’t begin by choice. One day, when I was in 9th grade, my dad called me to his office. I walked in and saw a man sitting there with a guitar. My dad said, “Beta, this is your teacher, and you’re going to start learning guitar now.”

I was excited, even though I had no prior experience with music. No one in my family is a professional musician, they all love music, but no one had ever pursued it seriously. Once I started playing, though, I was completely mesmerized by the instrument and the world around it. I spent hours practicing, learning songs, and improving my craft as a guitarist.

After school, like many others in India, I pursued a B.Tech degree,  I studied at Shiv Nadar University. During that time, I became increasingly interested in music production. I started teaching myself how to mix, master, and produce tracks, spending countless hours watching YouTube tutorials,  literally every tutorial I could find.

While that gave me a solid foundation, I knew there was a big difference between being self-taught and getting professional training. So after graduating in 2017, I decided to pursue a diploma in Audio Engineering and Music Production from the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication (SACAC) in Delhi.

After completing the course, I moved to Mumbai,  the hub of the music industry. My journey there began with an internship at NZ Studios, which used to be one of the biggest studios after Yash Raj. I worked under Julian Mascarenhas, a legend in his own right who has contributed to numerous Bollywood films. That experience taught me how things actually work in the professional world.

Two months later, I got the opportunity to work at the iconic YRF Studios. It was a magical experience,  suddenly, I was surrounded by legends like Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Asha Bhosle, and Sonu Nigam. Being in that environment was inspiring; I just wanted to absorb everything like a sponge.

From there, my journey really took off. I built strong connections in the industry, performed at major shows,  including the first season of MTV Hustle and continued to grow as an artist and producer. Today, I run my own company, Parallax Productions, where we work on ads, films, background scores, mixing, mastering, and full-scale music production.

It’s been over a decade in music and what a journey it’s been.

You wear multiple hats , artist, producer, and mix engineer. How do you balance the creative freedom of being an artist with the precision and discipline required in production and mixing?

Let me answer that question. I’ve always been fascinated by the many different aspects of the music production space. For example, there’s mixing and mastering, music production, background scoring, jingle creation  and then, of course, your own original music. I’ve been involved in all of these areas, and it’s been quite a ride so far. It’s definitely not easy; managing it all takes a lot of planning and balance.

I have to schedule my days very carefully. For instance, if I’m working on my own music, I first need to check whether there are any pending deadlines for clients. When you’re working professionally and commercially, especially when clients are paying for your services,  you need to prioritize those commitments.

That’s the only real challenge,  not exactly a problem, but a matter of time management. There are moments when I want to work on my own song but have several deadlines to meet, so clearing those always comes first. Once that’s done, I can focus on my personal projects.

Thankfully, I have a great team now, so I’m not handling everything alone. Having people to delegate tasks to really helps, everyone does their part, I supervise the overall process, and that gives me the space and time to create my own music as well.

When you begin a new project, what comes first for you ,the emotion, the sound, or the story? Walk us through your creative process from concept to final mix.

That’s a very interesting question. Honestly, inspiration can come from anywhere, there’s nothing specific that triggers it. It’s usually very random. Most of the time, I find inspiration when I’m traveling in a cab or an auto, just lost in my thoughts and not really thinking about anything. That’s often when a nice tune suddenly comes to mind.

At other times, inspiration comes from the brief itself. For example, I recently worked on a Marks & Spencer campaign with Rasha Thadani, and they gave us a very clear and detailed brief, what they wanted, the lyrical direction, and the kind of sound they were looking for. When you have such clarity, the process becomes much smoother, and you can just follow the brief confidently.

When I’m working on my own music, though, inspiration can come from anything,  a word, a lyric, or even a feeling. Sometimes it’s as simple as jamming on my guitar and discovering a melody, or even scrolling through Splice, which is a software library for loops and samples. It’s all about staying open,  because you never really know when or where that creative spark will strike.

The sonic landscape in India is evolving rapidly. What do you think defines the “modern Indian sound,” and where do you see your work fitting into that space?

So, the modern Indian sound right now is experiencing a major blending of genres. Bollywood is still Bollywood, but if you look closely, you’ll notice Afrobeats being introduced, a lot of hip-hop influences, and an overall fusion of diverse sounds and cultures.

I believe the future of Indian music is incredibly bright,  especially with so many international acts collaborating with Indian artists and performing here. Personally, I see myself fitting into a space where I can stay true to my own musical values and tastes while fusing them with a more commercial sound. That balance is what I aim to achieve.

As someone deeply involved in production, how do you decide when a track is truly finished , or is it ever really finished in your mind?

There’s really no finish line when it comes to creativity or creative projects. There isn’t a clearly defined end point,  you can keep working on something and refining it endlessly. But that comes at a cost and that cost is time.

For instance, if I’m working on an album, say a five-song album  and I’ve already spent four months on it, I could easily extend it by another month or even five years if I’m not satisfied with the sound. Many artists do this, if they’re not happy with something they’ve created, they set it aside, let it rest for a while, and revisit it later with fresh ears. Often, they end up liking it more after some time.

That’s the artistic side of it. But commercially, things are very different. When you’re working professionally, with clients and deadlines, you have to deliver within the agreed timeframe, especially when you’re being paid for a service. Deadlines are essential, and they must be followed.

Who is your biggest inspiration in music?

I have quite a few inspirations. I actually started out listening primarily to rock and metal music. Bands like Pink Floyd, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica really shaped my early musical taste, that’s how it all began for me.

When it comes to Bollywood, I’ve always admired Pritam. What he has achieved is incredible. Even though there are conversations about how some of his melodies may have been inspired or adapted from elsewhere, I still think the way he reimagines and localizes those sounds is brilliant. Inspiration is fine, to each their own, but personally, I believe there’s a limit to how much you should borrow.

You’ve collaborated with a wide range of artists across genres. Which collaboration challenged you the most creatively and pushed you out of your comfort zone? And what’s been your favorite collaboration so far?

I’ve collaborated with quite a few artists, King, MC Stan (I mixed two of his songs), and I’ve even recorded Mohit Chauhan ji right here in this same studio. But if I had to pick one collaboration that truly challenged me, it would be MTV Hustle – Season 1.

That was my first major commercial project, and honestly, at that time, I had just started learning how to make beats. I went to Aditya Pushkarna ji, he’s a very well-known producer and he told me about this upcoming rap project. Without thinking twice, I said, “Yes, I’ll do it.” I barely knew how to make beats then, but I learned quickly, showed him my work, and he said, “These will work. Join the team.”

We were a team of four producers, creating five to six songs a week. Practically one new song every day,  fully produced, arranged, and ready for recording because the shoots were scheduled every Friday and Saturday. It was an intense but incredible learning experience. That project really taught me how to work under deadlines and still stay creative.

Personally, I feel I perform better when there’s pressure. When there are no deadlines, projects tend to linger. I still have some great songs sitting unreleased just because there wasn’t a timeline attached to them. So now, I’ve realized I need to set deadlines for myself too, to stay productive.

As for my favorite collaboration, that’s tough because most of them are special in their own way. But one that stands out is my recent collaboration with Mame Khan ji. It was released under Universal Music , a song featuring Mame Khan ji and Akeshor Kumar. I produced that track, and it’s very close to my heart.

Working with Mohit Chauhan ji was also incredibly special, as was collaborating with MC Stan. Every project has its own magic, and I’ve learned something unique from each one.

Which tools, plugins, or techniques have become essential to your workflow, and how do you make sure technology enhances creativity rather than limits it?

For me personally, I’ve been working on Logic Pro X for quite a while now, it’s my go-to software. When it comes to plugins, I use quite a few, but mostly I stick to a specific set for every mix.

The goal for any sound engineer, in my opinion, should be to use a limited set of tools but know them inside out. Most beginner engineers make the mistake of constantly buying new plugins without actually learning how to use them properly. They think, “If I buy this new plugin, my vocals will sound amazing.” But that’s not how it works. You need to understand your tools deeply first, that’s when you can really bring out the best in your mix.

Honestly, with just five or six good plugins that you truly know well, you can mix any song. It’s all about mastering what you already have, not collecting endless gear.

In an era where AI and algorithms are shaping how we discover and make music, how do you preserve authenticity in your sound and storytelling?

AI is evolving very fast,  I completely agree. A lot of people have already started using it, and honestly, it’s a bit scary because the quality is getting unbelievably good. It’s improving at an alarming rate.

Sometimes I even think, what if, five or six years down the line, there’s an AI that can just generate hit songs on its own? Even now, tools like Suno AI and others are doing something similar. Personally, I haven’t used them yet, but I’ve seen people use AI mainly as a source of inspiration.

Ideally, that’s how it should be,  you take inspiration from it, then build on it and make something original that reflects your own creativity. I don’t think it’s right to just take what AI creates and release it as your own work. Of course, there’s nothing technically wrong with that, AI is just another tool, and tools are meant to be used. But for me, morally, it doesn’t feel right.

It’s like cooking. When I create my own sounds, it feels like preparing a meal from scratch, something personal and satisfying.

But using AI feels more like ordering from Swiggy or Zomato,  convenient once in a while, but it can never replace the joy of cooking your own food.

So, how do you protect your music? Are you under any copyright system?

Yes, there are several organizations like ASCAP, BMI, and IPRS. I am associated with IPRS and have an IPRS account.

But nowadays, the process isn’t very complicated. You can technically establish ownership simply by uploading your song as a YouTube video. If you’re the first to upload it, it legally belongs to you.

Protecting your music can be as simple as uploading it privately on YouTube or SoundCloud.

In your opinion, what’s the most unique aspect of your sound in this generation?

Honestly, I don’t think anything is completely unique; everything is inspired by something from somewhere. For example, if you listen to a song like Keshoda or Mamekhan, the melody itself is very old and beautiful, but I’ve created a more laid-back track around it.

When it comes to the instrumentation, I’ve incorporated jazzy progressions, trumpet solos, and even a flute solo, creating a fusion of different styles. So, I hope that when people listen to it, they’ll find the uniqueness in that blend.

So, what upcoming projects do you have lined up?

There are quite a few projects in the pipeline. I’m currently working with an artist named Ishan Koscik, who is incredibly talented. At the same time, I’m developing my own academy, Lax Audio Labs, which will be a comprehensive platform where people can learn everything about music.