Some love stories never begin. Not because the feelings are absent, but because the courage to express them never arrives.
Years later, the unanswered questions remain. What if those feelings had been confessed? Would life have taken a different turn?
These emotions form the heart of Kyun, the new independent Hindi single by acclaimed Indian flautist and composer Rajeev Prasanna, released in October 2026.
Interestingly, the song was conceived not in a recording studio, but aboard a tour bus travelling across more than 10 American cities during playback singer Shreya Ghoshal’s Unstoppable USA Tour.
For Prasanna, accustomed to flying between concert venues, the extended road journey offered an unusual luxury: Time to think, reminisce and experiment with music.
“This was our first bus tour, as we usually travel by flight and stay in hotels,” he told tabla!. “The long hours on the road gave us an opportunity to introspect, reflect on our lives and revisit our experiences. During this journey, I realised that there were many things left unsaid.”
Those reflections gradually evolved into Kyun, meaning “Why?”, a song about one-sided love, missed opportunities and emotions that remain buried long after relationships have passed.
“Sometimes, you don’t lose a person because you stop loving them; you simply never find the courage or the right moment to tell them what they mean to you,” he said. “And years later, a part of you still wonders, what if I had said something? Would our story have been different?”
Prasanna remembers sitting beside the bus window, watching the changing American landscape while revisiting memories of unexpressed affection.
A melody gradually emerged, followed by lyrics capturing those feelings.
What made the experience particularly memorable was the unconventional recording process.
Working with fellow musicians Jairaj Joshi on drums and Jobin David on guitar, he experimented with sounds using whatever materials were available.
“We created the sound of a kick drum using the wall of the bus,” he recalled. “We experimented with several such ideas, which made the entire process unique and exciting.”
Akash Sawant subsequently mixed the composition.
Although Prasanna has written music previously, Kyun marks his first venture into a commercial-style romantic song.
“My earlier compositions have largely been devotional,” he said. “Creating a love song like Kyun allowed me to revisit emotions, experiences and memories from the past.”
He did not discuss the composition with Shreya during the tour because the team was occupied with performances.
Nevertheless, working with the celebrated singer has influenced his musical expression.
“It has helped me understand how to bring out different emotions and expressions through music,” he said.
Rajeev’s musical credentials extend far beyond his latest release.
Born into the illustrious Banaras Gharana, he is the grandson of legendary flautist Pandit Raghunath Prasanna and son of Pandit Ravi Shankar Prasanna.
Trained from childhood, he specialises in Gayaki Ang, a demanding technique that enables the bamboo flute to reproduce the expressive nuances of the human voice.
That classical foundation is central to Kyun.
“The flute plays a very important role in Kyun, as the entire melody is rooted in the foundation I have developed through years of learning the instrument since childhood,” he explained.
His flute performances have featured in Bollywood films including Laal Singh Chaddha, Kesari and Jugjugg Jeeyo.
He has also appeared on MTV Unplugged and Coke Studio, and performed at prestigious international venues including London’s Wembley Arena and Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.
For him, MTV was a particularly significant career milestone.
“During my college days, we used to listen to and cover songs from MTV and Coke Studio, so getting the opportunity to perform on MTV was very special,” he said.
Unlike mainstream Bollywood releases, Kyun is building its audience gradually through streaming platforms, social media clips and independent music coverage.
The song has attracted attention from publications including Foxfire Magazine and Passionate in Marketing, although it remains a niche release rather than a major chart success.
Rajeev believes reaching listeners is now more challenging than composing music.
“Today, making a song is not necessarily the biggest challenge; marketing it and ensuring that it reaches the right audience is far more difficult,” he said.
He also believes contemporary composers should retain elements of Indian classical music to introduce younger audiences to its richness.
Despite the demands of film recordings and international tours, Rajeev hopes to develop more original compositions and perform them overseas.
Singapore is firmly on his wish list.
“Definitely! I would love to take my original compositions to Singapore and audiences across the world through concerts and collaborations,” he said.
For now, Kyun offers listeners something intimate: a musical reminder that sometimes the words we never speak leave the deepest impression.
