In April 2021, Rolling Stone India watched Chandigarh rockers NAALAYAK walk into Himalayan snow for the "Zakir" video — morning asking evening how it was faring, over easygoing acoustic rock. Five years on, that song sits at No. 3 on Spotify's Rock in India, and three more NAALAYAK cuts share the same 100-track shelf.

NAALAYAK is the musical identity of singer-songwriter Sahil Samuel, a Chandigarh Hindi-Urdu pop-rock project that began on the college and club circuit around 2015 and still tours with a live band. The official site now frames him as Sahil Samuel AKA Naalayak: an unapologetically honest pop-rock artist who blends what it calls the grunge soul of rock with Hindi-Urdu lyricism. In our 13 October 2026 snapshot of Rock in India — re-checked the same evening — the catalogue runs "Zakir" (No. 3), "Tabeer" (No. 36), "Jeene Do" (No. 41) and "It's Me" (No. 63). That four-song footprint sits in the same DIY and regional indie story we mapped in the DIY roots of Rock in India and our survey of regional rock bands in India.

NAALAYAK at a glance

  • Origin: Chandigarh; active on stages since about 2015 (Rolling Stone India, June 2020; The Hindu notes the band completed a decade in 2025)
  • Lead artist: Sahil Samuel AKA NAALAYAK (vocals, guitars, writing, production)
  • 2021 band lineup (Rolling Stone India, "Zakir"): Sahil Samuel, Akshat Kakar (guitar), Garry Singh Arora (drums), Aashish Kalanta (bass)
  • Genre: Hindi-Urdu pop-rock / indie rock (official bio; Apple Music tags early EPs Indie Rock and Rock)
  • Key releases: Naalayak EP (12 Apr 2018), Main Ka Bukhar EP (25 Jun 2018), Hindi Gaane (29 Oct 2021), SEXY BHAIJI (24 Aug 2023), Marammat (7 Nov 2025, Warner Music India)
  • Signature songs: "Zakir", "Bawra" (also styled "Baawra" on the official site), "Jeene Do", "Tabeer", "It's Me"
  • On Rock in India (13 Oct 2026, rii-a19): "Zakir" No. 3, "Tabeer" No. 36, "Jeene Do" No. 41, "It's Me" No. 63
  • Latest: Marammat tour dates reported by The Hindu (Dec 2025); "Ek Sapna" (feat. Ruvv) single 10 Sep 2026; Khat EP planned for 2026 per The Hindu

How did NAALAYAK begin?

Rolling Stone India's Anurag Tagat, writing in June 2020, placed the New Delhi/Chandigarh band on the college-festival and club circuit "for a few years," and dated the arena-rock push to 2015. By 2018 they had issued two EPs: the self-titled Naalayak EP and Main Ka Bukhar. Apple Music and the iTunes Lookup API date Naalayak - EP to 12 April 2018 (Indie Rock; ℗ 2018 Sahil Samuel) and Main Ka Bukhar - EP to 25 June 2018 (Rock). The official bio still calls Main Ka Bukhar the debut album of 2018; Spotify's artist text repeats that line. Indian Bands Hub lists "Saawan" and "Bawra" on that EP — the crowd favourite the official site spells "Baawra."

The Hindu's Neeraja Murthy, interviewing Samuel in December 2025, recorded the origin of the stage name. Teachers who watched him change schools and skip study would say, "Yeh kitna naalayak hai" — "he is so worthless" — and he kept the word. He was 33 at the time of that interview, writes his own songs, and produces them. He told The Hindu the band performs only originals, never Bollywood covers: people warned him independent music without film songs would be tough; he stayed adamant.

Who are the NAALAYAK members?

Credit lines have shifted with the project. On 7 April 2021, Rolling Stone India described a Chandigarh rock quartet for the "Zakir" video: vocalist-guitarist Sahil Samuel, guitarist Akshat Kakar, drummer Garry Singh Arora and bassist Aashish Kalanta. Samuel had written "Zakir" in the pandemic and sent it to the others for approval; filmmaker Rajeev Thakur shot the Himalayas clip. In June 2020 it was Arora who spoke for the band about selling the first Hindi Gaane singles on OK Listen for Rs 25 each before streaming — "trying to ensure the longevity" of making music when shows stopped.

By 2023, Rolling Stone India's interview page introduced "Naalayak frontman Sahil Samuel." The official site and Spotify bio now present Sahil Samuel AKA Naalayak as the artist. The Hindu's December 2025 feature still calls him founder of a band that had completed a decade, captioning a stage photo with "his band members." We report both eras as the sources do — a 2015–2021 quartet in the press, then a songwriter-led project with a live band — and do not invent a 2026 studio lineup.

Hindi Gaane and the making of "Zakir"

Pandemic economics shaped Hindi Gaane. In June 2020, Rolling Stone India reported that "Mustafa," "Nasamajh," "Befikre" and "Dil-Ae-Raza" went up first on OK Listen for a small fee, then to streaming — a deliberate push, Arora said, to put "a minuscule fee" on singles and ask listeners to value the work. Apple Music dates the full Hindi Gaane album to 29 October 2021 (eight tracks; ℗ 2021 Sahil Samuel). Track one is "Zakir," first issued as a single on 2 April 2021.

Rolling Stone India's video feature quotes the band on the song's mood: it was "intimidating to keep watch of nature [while] being cooped up at home," yet "captivating to see how the day turned into evening." Over acoustic rock, Samuel ties relationships, courage and reminiscence; the lyric has morning ask evening how it is faring. A planned 8 April 2021 Delhi bill with Moongphali was cancelled under new pandemic restrictions, the magazine noted. On Apple Music, "Zakir" runs 3:41. On Spotify's Rock in India checklist for 13 October 2026 it is NAALAYAK's flagship placement — No. 3, in the same shelf that carries The Local Train.

SEXY BHAIJI, "Tabeer" and the Rock in India four

After Hindi Gaane, the catalogue widened. Apple Music lists "Jeene Do" as a single dated 5 April 2022 (Rock), "It's Me" as a single dated 7 December 2022, and "Tabeer" as a single dated 11 January 2023; all three later sit inside SEXY BHAIJI, the nine-track album Apple dates to 24 August 2023 (℗ 2023 Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd.). Indian Bands Hub's track list for that album includes "It's Me," "Tabeer," "Noorie" and "Bandeya Tu." Radio and Music covered the "Tabeer" video with Anangsha Biswas around the single's release.

Those three SEXY BHAIJI-era songs, plus "Zakir," are the four NAALAYAK titles on our 13 October 2026 Rock in India embed (rii-a19.html / rii-a19-tracks.json), same set as the afternoon a18 check. Playlist order moves; the dated snapshot is the claim. A 2021 classic at No. 3 and three later singles deeper in the list is a run, not a one-track fluke.

Marammat: repair as album title

Marammat means "repair" in Urdu. Apple Music and iTunes Lookup date the eight-track album to 7 November 2025, copyright Warner Music India. Singles rolled out ahead of it: "Gulfam" on 11 September 2025 and the title track on 9 October 2025, then the full set including "3am Thoughts," "Mann," "Filmy," "Sahil Ke Kinare," "Cauliflower" and "Chai Pe Malai." The official music page calls Marammat Naalayak's fourth album and a dive into breaking down and choosing to mend.

The Hindu's December 2025 interview is the clearest public account of why. Samuel had planned to record songs written years earlier for a September 2024 release, then hit financial and personal trouble — "everything was a mess." "I realised if it doesn't get corrected in time and life went out of control, no one could repair it for me," he told Neeraja Murthy. Called "the marammat man," he laughed and said, "Marammat is personal for me." He described "3am Thoughts" as a quiet confession; the title track came while he recovered after being financially scammed; "Filmy" pushes back on the myth that artists keep many girlfriends. The Hindu listed Marammat tour dates after Delhi — Mumbai (11 Dec), Pune (12 Dec), Hyderabad (19 Dec), Bangalore (20 Dec 2025) — plus a three-song EP, Khat, for 2026 and another album eyed for 2027.

NAALAYAK best songs: where to start

Start with "Zakir" on Rock in India. Then "Bawra" from the 2018 EP, "Jeene Do" and "Tabeer" for the SEXY BHAIJI chapter, and "It's Me" for the fourth playlist cut. For the repair arc, play Marammat's title track and "3am Thoughts." Later doors: "Khud Se" (Apple, 4 October 2024) and "Ek Sapna" featuring Ruvv (10 September 2026). The path matches Parikrama and Fossils in other cities — build the room with originals, then let playlists catch up.

Why does NAALAYAK still matter?

Because Chandigarh Hindi rock did not need a film song to hold No. 3 on Rock in India. Samuel kept the insult that became a name, kept a live band through a decade The Hindu marked in 2025, and turned a personal collapse into Marammat without sanding off the crack. That is the same stubborn indie bargain our DIY roots essay described — and why four NAALAYAK tracks, not one, sit on the playlist tonight.

FAQ

Who is NAALAYAK?

Sahil Samuel AKA NAALAYAK is a Chandigarh singer-songwriter and the lead of a Hindi-Urdu pop-rock project active since about 2015. Streaming pages and the official site present him as the artist; Rolling Stone India covered an earlier rock quartet under the same name.

Who are the members of the NAALAYAK band?

For the April 2021 "Zakir" release, Rolling Stone India named Sahil Samuel (vocals, guitar), Akshat Kakar (guitar), Garry Singh Arora (drums) and Aashish Kalanta (bass). Later press and the official site centre Samuel as Sahil Samuel AKA Naalayak; The Hindu (Dec 2025) still refers to a live band he founded. A full 2026 studio roster is not published in the sources we checked.

What are NAALAYAK's most famous songs?

"Zakir" is the flagship — No. 3 on our 13 October 2026 Rock in India snapshot — followed by early favourite "Bawra"/"Baawra," then playlist cuts "Tabeer," "Jeene Do" and "It's Me." Marammat's title track and "3am Thoughts" are the 2025 entry points.

Is NAALAYAK on Rock in India or Fresh Finds India?

On Rock in India as of 13 October 2026 (rii-a19): four tracks — "Zakir" (No. 3), "Tabeer" (No. 36), "Jeene Do" (No. 41), "It's Me" (No. 63). That claim is tied to that dated embed; re-check Spotify for later moves. This feature does not claim Fresh Finds India placements for those titles.

When did NAALAYAK start and what is the latest album?

Stages from about 2015; first EPs in 2018 (Naalayak EP, 12 April; Main Ka Bukhar, 25 June). Latest full album: Marammat, 7 November 2025, Warner Music India. The Hindu also flagged a 2026 EP, Khat.

Sources

Cover: official Zakir single artwork via Apple Music / iTunes (album 1710519050). Placed on a blurred extension and resized to 1200×630; metadata stripped. Source: https://music.apple.com/in/album/zakir-single/1710519050.