Singer/Entrepreneur Ananya Birla, At 24, Is Marching To The Beat Of Her Own Drum
Image: ananya_birla / Instagram
They say that real happiness comes from hard work alone, and from doing what your heart loves the most. And following that principle, we millennials choose professions that are off the radar, and unlike the usual corporate jobs. We want to show the world that we can earn our bread as artists and dreamers.
Ananya too has a similar story, the only difference is that she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But, she did not let all the comforts she was blessed with, come in the way of what she loved the most and wanted to do for the rest of her life, that is, music! And once she set off on this musical journey of hers, she went on to create chartbusters and write her own success story while winning the hearts of people across the world.
Her Start As An Entrepreneur
This Indian musician, and entrepreneur, Ananya Birla is the eldest child of renowned Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, who is the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. Ananya hails from a Marwari business family from Rajasthan. She has studied management and economics at the University of Oxford in the UK. She is also the founder of Svatantra Microfinance, which is a company that provides microfinance to the rural women in India. Isn’t that a noble enterprise? Ananya is also the chairperson of Micro Housing Finance Corporation (MHFC). She always addressed the real issue of women not enjoying the freedom to do what they love, merely because they lacked financial independence. Her startup’s primary focus was to provide financial assistance to all those women who dreamed of making it big on their own.
In an interview with a leading magazine, Ananya recalled that when she was studying in the UK, she suffered from anxiety attacks and bouts of loneliness. She felt that people around her were very judgemental. When she returned home, she braved through those storms in her head with the support and the assistance from her family. But this phase of her life also made her realize that not all were as lucky as her. Many lacked assistance while fighting the demons in their heads. Which is why Ananya, along with her mother Neerja Birla, started a social initiative called MPower, in 2016, which is geared towards providing mental healthcare to all those who are in need of it.
Now you know how Ananya has always been an integral part of her business family, so how did she get inclined towards a career in music? Well, read on and you’ll know.
Ananya’s Start Towards Her Music Career
Ananya always had a passion for music and musical instruments. We can tell because this beautiful lady learned to play a santoor at the tender age of 11. She even taught herself to play guitar by watching videos on YouTube. It was while she was studying in the UK that Ananya took her baby steps towards a musical career by playing at the local bars and clubs. Yep, a business tycoon’s daughter did that! It just goes on to show the hardworking nature of Ananya, doesn’t it? She says that no matter how small the crowd was at her gigs, she always felt a connection with it, and it felt like she belonged there, and felt extremely peaceful about it. She recalls how she’d carry her guitar and start playing at open-mic nights. She felt happy doing that, she felt alive doing that. And she says that it was then that she knew for sure that her calling was music.
Ananya loved penning down her own songs. She loved creating her own music as well. She says that when one finds something that they are passionate about, no matter how tough the going gets, they find their way through all the chaos and reach their calm.
Ananya’s Musical Achievements
It was in the year 2016 that Ananya released her debut single, “Livin The Life.” This song was co-written by Jim Beanz and it was recorded and produced in a studio in Philadelphia. This song was also later on remixed by renowned DJ Afrojack, which made Ananya the first Indian artist ever to release her single worldwide through both PM: AM Recordings. Her very first song got nearly 14 million views on YouTube.
Later on, in 2017, her next single “Meant to be” was released. This was followed by another release in early March of 2018 titled “Hold On.” Her career’s graph inclined pretty steeply when she got noticed by the music label, Universal Music (India) and was brought on board by them.
Her single titled “Circles” established an emotional connect with the audience as it was dedicated to those people in one’s life who are the pillars of support. She recalls that while writing this song, her emotions just flew out in the form of words. She calls the process of writing music as “cathartic.” She found music to be the best way for her to express her feelings and connect with people, regardless of their gender, nationality, sexuality.
Ananya surely has been an inspiration to many youngsters out there. She’s shown that even if you’re blessed with the best in life, one shouldn’t take it for granted, and instead, use it as an opportunity to make a difference in the world. And at the same time, lead it while doing what you love the most.
