Janisht Joshi's 'Nahi' Captures The Tug-Of-War Between Detachment & Vulnerability
In the animated film, 'Loving Vincent', Postman Joseph Roulin tells his son Armand, "Live long enough. You'll see. Life even brings down the strong," when the 16-year-old infers that breaking down is a sign of weakness. I always wondered why the adults in my family were so jaded and reluctant to have fun. And then I grew up and found out for myself. Life does get you in one way or another; abandoned dreams, broken hearts, forlorn friendships and a colder reality of existence replacing the dreamy perspective of childhood. It's tough. As time goes by, the world doesn’t stop, but we learn to stop letting it in.
It's self-preservation at its finest, a way to stay afloat when the weight of it all feels too heavy. The trouble is, those same walls that keep us safe also keep us trapped. They shield us from the bad but block out the good. It’s a constant push-and-pull between protecting ourselves and wanting to feel something real.
Mumbai-based artist Janisht Joshi taps into the same in his track, 'Nahi', an anthem for anyone who’s ever struggled with shutting out the world to avoid being hurt. Released through Robach Music Group, Nahi captures the raw, messy reality of emotional avoidance. The indie-rock track is inspired by the melancholic brilliance of Sahir Ludianvi’s poetry. Its repetitive chorus, built around the word 'Nahi' or 'no', is a mantra of resistance—saying no to feelings, no to vulnerability, and no to anything that threatens the fragile balance of self-preservation.
The song’s music video, directed by Amun Khot, amplifies this theme visually. Shot in a bungalow where the artist and his friends hung out for years as they grew up, becomes a character in its own right. It’s the kind of place that holds years of memories, laughter, and probably a few too many arguments—a space that’s seen you at your best and worst. The video leans into the discomfort of growing up, of feeling disconnected from places and people that once felt like home. With an intimate, almost voyeuristic lens, it invites us into a deeply personal world where emotional walls come crashing down, if only for a moment.
“This is my first real rock song. I made something that feels true to me, without worrying about what works", Janisht shares. The song along with the video sets us on a path that lies somewhere between detachment and emotional vulnerability; the middle ground where all we can do is find some solace in 'it is what it is'.
Follow Janisht here.
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