Merlin D'Souza at Jodhpur RIFF 2026: Mumbai's Piano Queen Plays for Mick Jagger

Some news makes you smile before you've finished reading it. This was one of those.

Merlin D'Souza, Mumbai's own composer, pianist and all-round musical force, has just shared that she played at Jodhpur RIFF 2026, at a curated event put together by festival director Divya Bhatia for guests from around the globe. And sitting in the audience? Sir Mick Jagger.

In her own words on Instagram: "Hi dears excited to share." That's Merlin all over. A career this size, and she still tells it like she's ringing a friend.

The setting could not have been grander

Jodhpur RIFF, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival, is one of the most magical things that happens in India every year. It takes place at Mehrangarh Fort, timed around the full moon of Sharad Purnima, and 2026 marks its 20th edition. Mick Jagger has been the festival's International Patron for years, and it runs under the patronage of the royal family of Marwar-Jodhpur. Merlin's caption nods to that too, thanking "Majesty" alongside Jagger.

If you've never been, picture folk musicians from Rajasthan and across the world playing on the ramparts of a 15th-century fort while the Blue City glows below. We've written before about how Jodhpur's craft and colour keep finding their way into modern life. RIFF is that spirit turned into sound.

So to be chosen for a curated set at a festival like this, in front of an international crowd and a Rolling Stone? That's not a lucky break. That's recognition.

Why Merlin belongs on that stage

I'll be honest: I've been a fan for a long time, and what strikes me most about Merlin D'Souza is range. Most musicians are lucky to be very good at one thing. She seems to be very good at everything.

She started piano at six. By nine she was an All India Radio artiste. At twelve she was playing in church. At eighteen she scored and performed for a production of Blood Brothers. She describes herself, rather perfectly, as "trained in western classical and liberated by jazz". She holds a Performer's Licentiate from Trinity College, and she spent time as an Asian jazz ambassador for Hennessy XO.

That jazz side has taken her around the world, with tours across Australia, China, Europe and the United States, including a performance at the Blue Note in New York. Mumbai audiences will remember her sets at BlueFrog, where the photo above was taken in 2013. Her 2009 album Soul Yatra came out on the Bluefrog label.

Bollywood owes her more than it admits

Here's the bit many film fans don't realise. If you've cried at Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, there's a fair chance Merlin had a hand in that: she played, arranged and conducted for the film. Her film credits also include work on Road, Bas Yun Hi, Socha Na Tha and Gangaajal.

She was vocal director for the Hindi version of The Prince of Egypt and music director for the Hindi version of The Lion King. More recently, her track 'Tod Mod' featured in the 2024 series Bambai Meri Jaan, built from a composition by her father. That detail moves me. Music running in a family, carried forward by the daughter.

Theatre, fusion and the anthem

On stage, Merlin has scored for some of the biggest names in Indian theatre, including Alyque Padamsee's Romeo and Juliet, Pearl Padamsee's Godspell and Naseeruddin Shah's Julius Caesar. She has worked on productions of The Sound of Music and Grease too.

Her collaborators read like a dream festival line-up: Shubha Mudgal, Trilok Gurtu, Talvin Singh, Taufiq Qureshi and Rakesh Chaurasia. She composed and produced for the all-women band INDIVA. She directed Ranbir Kapoor singing the national anthem for the Indian Super League, and has sung the anthem at the ISL herself.

She has also been described as only the second pianist, after Yanni, to perform at the Taj Mahal. Read that sentence again. Then remember she's from Bandra.

Most musicians are lucky to be very good at one thing. Merlin D'Souza seems to be very good at everything.

A moment that feels earned

There's a certain kind of Indian artist who has quietly shaped what we hear for decades without ever chasing the spotlight. Session players, arrangers, music directors, the people whose names sit in the small print of the credits. Merlin has been that person for a lot of iconic music, while also being a headline act in her own right.

Which is why Jodhpur feels so right. A curated night, guests from around the world, the fort, the moon, and one of rock's greatest frontmen listening in. We've covered Mick Jagger's views on what fans want from a live show, and he's said they want escapism. I suspect Merlin gave him exactly that.

What's next?

Jodhpur RIFF 2026 runs at Mehrangarh Fort through the Sharad Purnima weekend, and if you can make it next year, go. In the meantime, follow Merlin on Instagram at @musicmerlin, look up Soul Yatra, and the next time you watch Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, stay for the credits.

Merlin, from all of us at AltBollywood: congratulations. Mumbai is very proud of you.

Photo: Merlin D'Souza at BlueFrog Mumbai, March 2013, by Spacejunkk, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Merlin D'Souza?

Merlin D'Souza is a Mumbai-based composer, pianist and music director. Her work spans Hindi film music, theatre, jazz, Indian fusion and brand music, and she has toured Australia, China, Europe and the United States.

What is Jodhpur RIFF?

The Jodhpur Rajasthan International Folk Festival is held each October at Mehrangarh Fort around Sharad Purnima. The 2026 edition is its 20th, and Sir Mick Jagger is its International Patron.

Who runs Jodhpur RIFF?

Divya Bhatia is the Festival Director of Jodhpur RIFF and has led it for most of its history.

Which Bollywood films has Merlin D'Souza worked on?

She played, arranged and conducted for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, and has credits on films including Road, Bas Yun Hi, Socha Na Tha and Gangaajal. She was also music director for the Hindi version of The Lion King.