Navjot Ahuja opens up about love, validation and the making of viral hit Khat

At a time when music success is often measured in streams, charts and social media campaigns, singer-songwriter Navjot Ahuja operates differently. The voice behind the viral hit Khat (released in 2025) insists he never writes music with an audience, algorithm or outcome in mind. For him, songwriting remains an intensely personal exercise, one born from emotional necessity rather than ambition.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Navjot opened up about his unconventional relationship with music, the real-life inspiration behind Khat, why he never seeks validation before releasing a song, and how he defines success on his own terms.

‘I couldn’t stand not writing songs’

For Navjot, music wasn’t the result of a carefully planned career choice. It emerged naturally from his upbringing and his need to express himself.

“Since childhood, we used to go to the gurudwara, so there was some exposure to music through kirtans. I learned a little about singing and playing the harmonium. Later, when I joined music in school, I became a favourite student of my music teachers,” he recalled.

What began as curiosity soon evolved into songwriting. “I first started writing songs. At that time, I didn’t think I was a good singer, so I would write songs and find people to sing them. I didn’t even know if they would ever be released. I just wanted to hear them come alive.”

Even today, he doesn’t describe songwriting as a profession as much as a compulsion.

“There was never a turning point where I decided that I would do this forever. It’s more that I couldn’t stand not writing songs. If I don’t write, I feel an emotional heaviness. Then I get this urge to put it down somewhere.”

Success hasn’t changed the process

Khat became one of the most organically successful independent songs in recent memory, but Navjot insists the success hasn’t altered his creative process.

“I never made music with results in mind. Even today, I don’t know how to write songs for people or how to write songs that will work. I don’t know either of those things,” he said.

Instead, his songs are rooted in moments and emotions. “I might meet someone and feel something. Then at night, I’ll write about that one feeling or one verse. It’s always been an internal process. I write what I feel and then I release it,” he said.

The girl who inspired Khat

When asked about the origins of Khat, Navjot shared the story behind the song’s most memorable lines.

“I met someone who told me she was into philosophy. We started talking, and while she was speaking, I kept thinking, ‘She’s saying all the wrong things.’ But somehow, I still liked the way she was speaking.” That contradiction stayed with him. “I was thinking, ‘Why am I still agreeing? Why am I finding this cute?’ Usually, I don’t enjoy such conversations. That’s where the idea came from,” he said.

The thought eventually became the foundation of the song. “‘Teri baatein na samajhti, phir bhi jaayaz lag rahi hai. Tu pareshan kar rahi hai, phir bhi masoom lag rahi hai.’ Those lines came directly from that feeling. She was definitely the muse,” he said.

Navjot revealed that while listeners may assume Khat took months to craft, the writing process was remarkably quick.

“I wrote the song in five days. I usually spend 15 to 30 minutes everyday writing. If you add it all together, it probably took around two-and-a-half to three hours,” he said.

Even the recording process was swift. “If you include production and recording, maybe 10 to 12 hours. I don’t believe in overthinking or overproducing. If it sounds decent, it’s good to go,” he added.

Validation in disguise

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Navjot’s creative philosophy is his refusal to seek feedback.

“I never take opinions from anyone,” he said. While family members and collaborators hear his music before release, their reactions don’t influence the final product. “If someone has the courage to release a song without playing it to anyone else for validation, then it is truly art. Otherwise, it’s validation in disguise,” he said.

For him, instinct remains the only metric that matters. “I just ask myself one question: Do I like singing it? If I enjoy singing the melody, then that’s enough,” he said.

He acknowledged that artists rarely remain satisfied with their older work, which is why he has adopted a simple benchmark. “My bar is ‘not bad’. If I don’t find it bad, it’s good to go,” he added.

Rather than spending months refining a track, he prefers moving on to the next idea. He said, “I write a lot of songs. By the time I would keep perfecting one, I’ve already moved on to another. If something is 60-70 per cent there, it’s good.”

Even Khat followed that approach. “After the mix was done, I still had changes in mind. But I had already started working on another song. I just thought, ‘Let it come out. Whatever happens, happens,’” he added.

Defining success differently

For Navjot, success has little to do with numbers. “I just expect myself to make an attempt. That’s it.” The distinction, he explained, helps him maintain emotional balance. “If I have to be happy for a song’s success, then I also have to be sad for another song’s failure. I don’t want either,” he said.

Instead, he measures success by whether he showed up to create.

“If I attempt to write a song today, then it’s a good day. I’m successful today.” He believes attaching self-worth to outcomes is unsustainable for any artist. “Failures will always be more than successes. If results affect me, then I’ll spend more days being sad than happy,” he added.

I’ve never knocked on anyone’s door: Navjot

While many artists spend years chasing labels, opportunities and industry connections, Navjot said his approach has been the opposite.

“I’ve never knocked on any door,” he said. Instead, he focused solely on creating music.

“I’ve always closed my door and worked. I’ve never gone to someone else’s door for marketing, labels or films. In fact, when a label approached me for songs, two of them rejected ‘Khat,’ I remember,” he added.

Any opportunities that came his way arrived organically. “When the only thing under my control was working hard, I focused on that. I wanted to minimise my dependence on luck,” he added.

Ultimately, he said the only thing that genuinely excites him is making music itself. “People can help make a song bigger. But nobody can help me make music. That’s the only thing that gives me pleasure,” he added.

What’s next?

Navjot revealed that he is currently working on a full-length album, expected within the next few months. “We are planning to release an album in the next three to four months. It will probably have eight or nine songs,” he said.

He also confirmed plans for a multi-city India tour.