The song ‘Main Sach Kahun’ by Last Minute India unleashes a wave of emotions-OxBig News Network

Members of Last Minute India at a show
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Last Minute India’s new track ‘Main Sach Kahun’ is raw, real and emotional. The song is a heartfelt reflection of songwriter and composer Subodh Gupta’s emotional and psychological battles with alcohol addiction.

Subodh, the founder of Last Minute India, and also the songwriter and bassist of the band, uses storytelling and music to narrate his past journey with alcohol. The song depicts an addiction that led him to isolation and regret but also gave him courage to tell the truth, accept things and a desire to change. The emotions conveyed in the song are personal but resonate with a universal feeling, he says.

Of real stories

Subodh Gupta
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“These songs are situations, stories that are real,” says Subodh over a telephonic conversation. He was working as a data scientist for Microsoft in 2023 and also balancing a passion to make music. Due to his drinking habit, he began to make excuses and lie to avoid awkward situations. “It was a tough phase,” he recalls. “When you cannot control your habits, people tag you as a drunkard, cheater or someone who manipulates but the words in the song gave me the power to accept, tell the truth and also willingness to change.”

Feeling low after a fight with his partner, he strummed a tune and wrote an email to her with a few lines. That tune and song stayed with him and he showed it to the band recently and said, “I want the world to hear this story.”

The story of Last Minute India began during Subodh’s engineering days. He with his two friends Bhumit Gor (rhythm guitarist) and Austin Furtado (lead guitarist ) participated in college rock competitions but did not have a name for the group. After six wins, the seventh music event was a turning point when the host was announcing the names of participating college bands and before their turn came, Subodh told his friends: ‘‘This is almost like the last minute of our lives and we have to decide.” In the 100 college competitions that Last Minute India played in seven months, they won 68.

Be honest and real

Playing soul-stirring compositions
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

While talking about his college project turning into a passionate musical exploration, he cannot but recollect his mother’s ‘be honest and real’ mantra. “When I said I want people to be there, engaged with my songs, she said, ‘Rather than dumbing the content down, serve them what you feel is good. People will get acquainted with it one day.’

Passionate to create songs that reflect ‘real emotions and lived experiences’ he quit his job in 2023 (now freelancer at Netflix) and co-founded the band with Bhumit. Besides Austin, the lead guitarist, the other band members are: Abdul Shaikh (vocalist) Samaksh Namdev (drums).

Inspiration

Subodh Gupta during a performance
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

From being recognised as the best emerging artists in 2023 by Spotify India to playing in colleges and music festivals across the country, Last Minute India has made a name in the independent music circuit.

Although they play a blend of covers and originals in shows, their focus is on creating original melodies. Be it Subodh’s first song ‘Yaadein’, written in 2015 but released in 2022, and others such as ‘Kaagaz Ki Naav’, ‘Rehnuma’ or ‘Jaane Anjaane’, his songs stem from personal journeys of love, heartbreak, self-reflection, and the trials of life.

With almost 50 shows planned for the year, Subodh hopes the band will continue to create songs that are ‘felt and not just heard.’