Madhura Ghane, known by her stage name Mahi G, is an engineer from Kalyan near Mumbai who writes Marathi rap rooted in social themes.
In June 2025, her song on jal, jungle, zameen began circulating widely on Instagram reels, introducing her work to a much larger audience. The track, originally released in December 2022, focused on Adivasi life, environmental protection and land rights.
For many young listeners, it arrived at a moment when climate conversations and questions around development were already gaining visibility online.
In an interview with Brut, she reflected on how the song was written, why it resurfaced and what drives her as an artist.
“I Started With Poems”
Mahi G completed her engineering degree in 2019. Music was not originally a career plan. Writing was.
“I used to write poems,” she said. “I realised it was difficult to tell a big story in a small paragraph. Rap helped me say more in fewer lines.”
After finishing college, she wrote a short verse on the farmers’ protest in Delhi. At the time, she did not formally identify as a rapper. She said she wanted young people to engage with current issues rather than ignore them.
“I felt that people my age were not paying attention to what was happening around us,” she said. She further added, “If the youth do not think about these issues, how will solutions come?”
Positive feedback from friends and family encouraged her to continue.
The Village That Shaped The Song
Her track called “Jungle Cha Raja” was written during the Covid lockdown. She spent six to seven months in her village, Varunbhushi, located near the base of Kalsubai peak in Maharashtra. The village is home to members of the Koli Mahadev tribe.
“I observed their daily life closely,” she said. “Their farming depends on rain. After the monsoon, there is no steady water source.”
She described how families cultivated rice during the rains and relied on that harvest for months. In the off season, many collected forest produce such as honey, medicinal plants and leaves used to make plates. Some worked as agricultural labourers in other villages during dry months.
The song centred on jal, jungle and zameen as essential resources. It portrayed Adivasis as protectors of forests rather than obstacles to development.
“I wanted to show that they preserve the jungle,” she said.
The track was produced by Marathi rapper Rap Boss and released in December 2022.
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How A 2022 Release Found New Life In 2025
When the song first released, it received appreciation but did not trend widely.
“For me, it was already big,” said Mahi. “It was my first official rap.”
In June 2025, a reel featuring the track was boosted and began gaining rapid traction. Messages increased. Follower counts rose. The song reached wider audiences.
She described the surge as sudden. She also noted that filmmaker Anurag Kashyap followed her on social media after the song gained attention.
The renewed visibility surprised her, but she linked it to a broader shift.
“I feel people are becoming more sensitive about nature-related issues,” she said.
She referred to increased public engagement around environmental debates and student-led discussions as part of that shift.
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Engineering At Home, Art In Progress
Mahi G grew up in Kalyan. Her father worked as a bus conductor with the Thane Municipal Corporation. Her mother was a homemaker. Education was a strong focus in the household, partly because previous generations did not have extended opportunities to pursue it.
Her siblings also completed higher education.
“First study well,” she recalled her family saying, “then choose what you want.”
Today, she describes herself as both an engineer and an artist. At home, her family remains her first audience. She shares new verses with them before releasing them publicly.
“They give suggestions,” she said. “If something does not sound right, they tell me.”
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And Young India Paid Attention
Her journey reflected a wider pattern among young Indians balancing professional degrees with creative ambitions. Digital platforms allowed regional vernacular artists to reach national audiences without traditional industry backing.
Her viral moment in June 2025 did not begin with an algorithm. It began in a village during lockdown, with observation and writing.
For young listeners, the impact was twofold. It showed that local stories could travel widely. It also highlighted how music could carry conversations about land, environment and identity into mainstream youth culture.
As debates around development and sustainability continued, artists like Mahi G became part of that landscape. Not as commentators from a distance, but as participants shaping the conversation through rhythm and verse.
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Watch full-interview:
