Amid multiple Supreme Court hearings on the case of stray dogs, Mohit Chauhan has released Meri Aawaz to lend his voice to the voiceless. The singer, who performed at a protest in Delhi on Sunday advocating humane policies for community dogs, speaks to us about the song, him caring for over 400 dogs and other stray animals, and why scientific, compassionate solutions – not cruelty – are the way forward.

The inspiration came from years of being closely associated with street dogs, and more recently, from the growing narrative around relocating all street dogs into shelters. The recommendations by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) for very small shelter spaces deeply saddened me and made me think about the countless dogs we care for on the streets – dogs who currently live among people who love them and look after them. The thought that this life of coexistence could suddenly be taken away was very disturbing.

While I was composing the song, my wife, Prarthana, who is a writer and lyricist, put these emotions into words. Together, we tried to express what these dogs might be feeling. Subsequently, Abhinay Soni (video editor) and Raaj Aashoo worked with us to create a strong visual impression for the song. When you feed, rescue, and care for street dogs every day, you begin to truly see their world – their vulnerability, resilience, and their incredible capacity for love. Yet, their pain and emotions often go unnoticed or misunderstood.

It’s both. The emotions are deeply personal, but the intention is to lend my voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. Music has the power to translate silence into feeling. If a song can make someone pause and truly feel empathy for a stray animal, then it has fulfilled its purpose. I also believe this song represents not just the voice of animals, but of millions of silent and often invisible caregivers across the world who dedicate their lives to protecting them.

I have immense respect for activists, feeders, and caregivers who continue to show compassion despite resistance and hostility. My message to them is – your work matters. You are standing for empathy in a time when it is urgently needed. Change takes time, but kindness always leaves an impact – even when it feels invisible.

I believe the conversation needs to shift from fear and blame to understanding and coexistence. Street dogs are part of our shared environment, and their presence reflects how we design and manage our cities and communities. The way forward lies in compassionate, scientific solutions – such as sterilization, vaccination, and community-based care – not cruelty. Issues such as overpopulation and rabies can be effectively addressed if municipalities are adequately funded and work in collaboration with caregivers to manage populations humanely and move towards the eradication of rabies in the country.

We must also acknowledge that animals – especially dogs – continue to face widespread cruelty in our society, including severe abuse and violence. Despite the gravity of these acts, the penalties under existing laws remain extremely inadequate, with fines as low as Rs. 50 in some cases. This is a critical gap that needs urgent attention. Strengthening animal protection laws and ensuring stricter enforcement is essential if we are truly committed to compassion and justice.

Our own ancient Indian culture deeply respects animals. In our scriptures and traditions, animals are seen as companions and protectors, not as a nuisance. From references in the Vedas to Lord Bhairava’s vahan being a dog, dogs have held a significant and symbolic place in our cultural consciousness.

As a human being, compassion is non-negotiable for me. As an artiste, I believe I have a responsibility to use my voice for something meaningful. Caring for animals isn’t charity – it’s about recognizing shared life and inherent dignity. This cause keeps me grounded and reminds me of what truly matters. At its core, true art is always connected to a cause, and true artistes must carry compassion within them; without it, how could one genuinely express, connect, or create work that resonates.

Mohit Chauhan has given several hits, but confesses that he is not a fan of remixes. In fact, what irks him the most is when people try to cash in on the popularity of an old hit. “It’s alright to genuinely revisit a song, but I don’t like remixes. Bahut sare gaane kharab bhi ho jaate hain... I don’t think there is any need to make a remix of a song. Bahut saare remix hain mere gaano ke jo itne achche nahin ho paaye. Masakali (Delhi-6; 2009) ka bhi achcha nahin tha toh A R Rahman sahab (composer) bhi bahut naraaz huye the,” says Chauhan, who was recently in Delhi to attend a storytelling festival.

Talking about Indian cinema and the north-south divide, the crooner believes that music has no part in it as it has no barriers. “Music, like it’s said, is a universal language. You can listen to a song in Spanish or any south Indian or north-eastern language, if the melody touches you then one can feel the emotions. People will make films in their language because they have an audience, but music has no language and it’s a powerful medium that can cross any barrier,” adds Chauhan, who is happy to be back on the stage to perform for live audiences.

“For any artiste, the studio is [just] one part (of the musical journey) where you manufacture your song. But when you go out and sing those songs, you expect people to sing with you; that can only happen on the stage. This was something that didn’t happen for over two years, and now that it has sort of opened up, it’s great to be back,” ends the former Silk Route vocalist.

Mohit Chauhan is busy working on a new album these days, one that he hopes to release by the end of this year. The Matargashti singer spoke to us recently about current music trends, his aversion to singing remakes, and more. Excerpts:

Mohit is clear about not singing recreated versions ofold hits. In fact, he even turned down an offer to sing one. Voicing his opinion on the same, he says, “It’s not like I don’t like singing old Hindi songs. I have sung Kishore Kumar ji’s songs on my online channel, but I don’t like the way old songs are recreated. Music directors are deconstructing the songs and remaking them with rap and other elements that probably don’t even go with the song’s essence. As a result, the purity of the original song gets lost, and I don’t support that. These songs need to be treated aesthetically and with a lot of love. ”

Mohit shot to fame with independent music. Be it Dooba Dooba or Boondein, the former Silk Route vocalist’s songs are among the most heard compositions on the indie music scene. Talking about the indie music scenario today, Mohit says that nowadays it gets difficult to differentiate between non-film music and film music.

“Probably the music labels feel that these are the songs that will do well, but the fearlessness to play with different genres is missing on the indie scene today. When we used to create music as a band, there were so many independent musicians and bands that had a distinct style. I think music companies and labels need to identify, pick and push musicians who have the potential to think out of the box and create a unique identity,” he says, adding, “One needs to have a free mind and the ability to delve deep inside to create something beautiful, original and close to their heart.”

Mohit says, “Social media cannot be the measure of a song’s popularity. Jo sangeet-premi hote hai, woh waise bhi gaana sunenge, bhale hi woh gaana social media me popular ho ya nahi. Social media is like instant noodles —it provides instant drama and entertainment, but isn’t a platform to assess good music.”

It was thought that his soft voice would only suit songs like Tum Se Hi (Jab We Met), Masakali (Delhi 6), but Mohit Chauhan broke that stereotype by becoming the rock singer character's voice in Rockstar. In an interview, he talks about his latest song from Bombay Velvet, jazz, folk music and competition. Behroopia is all trumpets and sax.

Is this your first jazz number?
The film Bombay Velvet is set in the 1950s and 60s, so Anurag (Kashyap) wanted music that is set in that era. At that time, in addition to rock n roll and western bands getting popular in Mumbai and Kolkata, restaurants and clubs also played a lot of jazz music. So through Behroopia, they wanted to convey the romantic chemistry between Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. Amit Trivedi, who has composed the soundtrack, asked me to approach the song in a relaxed way and yet capture the romance of it.

You became Ranbir's voice in Rockstar, singing all the songs for him. Do you miss that trend of the 70s-80s, where only one singer would be identified with an actor's voice?
The connection with Ranbir has been there for many years now. I sang for him in many films and it is good that people find my voice matching such a brilliant actor. I do agree that when a singer sings all the songs for one actor in a film, the impact is much better. Even earlier, when Kishore Kumar sang for Rajesh Khanna, he was not limited to Khanna only. He did sing for other actors. So now, if an actor has other vocalists singing for him, we have to be cool.

You started off as a music composer with Silk Route. Is it still hard to market your own music?
I not only composed music for my albums, but also for the film Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh. It is hard work - composing a song for a film and showing it to makers - 50% of the tune remains the same and the remaining 50% is changed to suit the script. It was a long process before your own independent music could reach out to audiences. Now that we can upload songs on the internet and get audiences' reaction, the process is faster.

Many male playback singers today are doing your kind of songs. Comment.
Like there are many singers and music composers entering the market everyday, I also see that there are many Bollywood films made everyday. I am not bothered because I get my share of songs. I have been singing for 10-12 years. Every film has 4-5 songs and if it is divided between talented singers, I have no complaints. It is good to have competition because that helps you survive in the long run. I also feel that only when you have something 'special' - an expression and voice to connect with a song - you will survive longer here.

You belong to the small town Nahan in Himachal Pradesh. Did it influence your early interest in music?
Apart from Kishore Kumar, the textbook singer for my musical influence early in life, I was impressed with my state's folk music. In fact, folk music is what identifies each region and so I was introduced to it early on in my life. My love for folk music also earned me a chance to be an ambassador for the World Voice Programme of the British Council in India. I promote music among kids in schools in India and abroad. I introduce them to folk music here and abroad. This arouses the curiosity of different cultures among countries globally. I also enjoy old Hindi film music and am impressed with good lyrics. I never say yes to songs that have lewd lyrics or double meaning.

What's keeping you busy?
After my previous album Fitoor in 2009, I am currently working on another album. I am planning to release the songs as singles. I am also collaborating with African musicians on some Hindi and African songs. Hopefully, I will also compose music for films in the future.

You have a good collection of caps!
Yes, I fancy my caps a lot. I pick up a cap anywhere I go. It keeps me warm and I can also hide under them when I want to. My eyes and expressions get hidden when I wear my cap.