Best Indian Indie Songs of 2011: Cinema, Tomorrow's Decided, Qualia

The best Indian indie songs of 2011 come from a scene still mostly living on stages, blogs and early download stores. Karsh Kale made a full album of songs, Pentagram signed off with Bloodywood, Sky Rabbit and Bhoomi brought out new records, and Dualist Inquiry, Prateek Kuhad and Nucleya released early music that pointed to what came next. This list picks twenty songs from 2011 that you can stream on Apple Music India today.

How we checked. Every song date below is the song's own date on Apple Music India (iTunes catalogue, country IN), checked on 28 October 2026, not just the album date. A song is only here if Apple dates the song itself to 2011. Where Apple shows a 1 January placeholder date, we say "dated 2011". Only released music is covered. For the full records, see our albums list for the year. For the next year, see our 2012 songs list.

Quick answer: the 10 best Indian indie songs of 2011

• Karsh Kale – "Cinema" (26 April 2011)
• Pentagram – "Tomorrow's Decided" (22 March 2011)
• Sky Rabbit – "Hilltop" (dated 2011)
• Dualist Inquiry – "Qualia" (8 June 2011)
• Prateek Kuhad – "Something Wrong" (15 July 2011)
• Palash Sen & Euphoria – "Kabootar" (11 October 2011)
• Bhoomi – "Bhabosagoro Rey" (22 July 2011)
• Nucleya – "Khandit Nayaka" (Original Mix) (25 October 2011)
• Soulmate – "Love Comes Easy" (19 September 2011)
• Alobo Naga & The Band – "Painted Dreams" (11 January 2011)

The 20 songs

1. Karsh Kale – "Cinema" (26 April 2011). The title track of his 13-track album. See Karsh Kale songs.

2. Pentagram – "Tomorrow's Decided" (22 March 2011). Track four on Bloodywood, the Mumbai band's 14-track album. See legendary Indian rock bands.

3. Sky Rabbit – "Hilltop" (dated 2011). The closing song on Sky Rabbit's self-titled 9-track debut. Apple shows a 1 January 2011 placeholder date for every song on it.

4. Dualist Inquiry – "Qualia" (8 June 2011). From the Dualism EP, which also has a spoken-word edit of the song. See Dualist Inquiry songs.

5. Prateek Kuhad – "Something Wrong" (15 July 2011). The first of three English songs on his self-titled 2011 release. See Prateek Kuhad songs.

6. Palash Sen & Euphoria – "Kabootar" (11 October 2011). One of two ITEM songs dated to the album's release day. See Euphoria songs.

7. Bhoomi – "Bhabosagoro Rey" (22 July 2011). The opener of Lokgeeti Local. See the Kolkata music scene.

8. Nucleya – "Khandit Nayaka" (Original Mix) (25 October 2011). The original mix from a 4-track EP with three remixes. See Nucleya songs.

9. Soulmate – "Love Comes Easy" (19 September 2011). The opener of the Live in the Now EP. See Indian blues bands.

10. Alobo Naga & The Band – "Painted Dreams" (11 January 2011). The title song of the Painted Dreams EP (EP dated 5 May 2011). See Northeast India bands and artists.

11. Karsh Kale – "Supernova" (26 April 2011). Track six on Cinema.

12. Pentagram – "Nocturne" (22 March 2011). The closing track on Bloodywood.

13. Sky Rabbit – "Anti-Coke Ganpati" (dated 2011). The opener of the self-titled album. See Mumbai indie bands.

14. Dualist Inquiry – "Orbital" (8 June 2011). The opener of Dualism.

15. Prateek Kuhad – "Rubber Bits" (15 July 2011). The second of his three 2011 songs.

16. Goddess Gagged – "Modern Machines" (19 November 2011). The opener of Resurfaces. See Indian metal bands.

17. Bhoomi – "Rasogolla" (dated 2011). From Desh Jurrey, where every song shows a 1 January 2011 placeholder.

18. Palash Sen & Euphoria – "C U Later" (11 October 2011). Also released as a single dated 2012.

19. Bandish Projekt & Shaa'ir – "Lover" (Original) (12 December 2011). The original version from the 4-track Lover EP.

20. Kohra – "Shiromonaki" (13 September 2011). The original from a 4-track EP with three remixes, for techno listeners.

Five more worth hearing

• Karsh Kale – "Man On Fire" (26 April 2011).
• Pentagram – "Lovedrug Climbdown" (22 March 2011).
• Soulmate – "Ghost Song" (19 September 2011).
• Kohra – "Sidewinder" (19 December 2011).
• Bandish Projekt – "Chase" (5 March 2011).

What is left out

• Film songs, including the Shaitan soundtrack (with Bhayanak Maut) and Raghu Dixit's 2011 film work.
• Songs Apple dates to other years, even on 2011 records. On Bhoomi's Lokgeeti Local, "Conductor Babu Go" and "Menoka Mathaye Dilo" are dated 6 April 2010.
• Remix-only tracks, live versions and tribute covers.
• Songs from same-named non-Indian artists on Apple.

How to use this list

Start with the quick-answer ten for a one-hour playlist. For an electronic hour, put Karsh Kale, Dualist Inquiry, Nucleya, Bandish Projekt and Kohra together, then see the best Indian electronic albums. For guitars, go to Pentagram and Goddess Gagged. For the decade view, see the best Indian indie albums of the 2010s.

FAQ

What was the best Indian indie song of 2011? On this list, Karsh Kale's "Cinema" (26 April 2011).

When did Dualist Inquiry release "Qualia"? The song and the Dualism EP are dated 8 June 2011 on Apple Music India.

Which 2011 songs have placeholder dates? The Sky Rabbit album, Bhoomi's Desh Jurrey and most of Euphoria's ITEM show 1 January 2011 on Apple Music India, so we call them "dated 2011".