The inspiring story of 15-year-old Saniya Mistri: How the daughter of a rickshaw puller became a rapper

It is true that real talent thrives regardless of societal status or economic constraints. A recent example of this is a 15-year-old daughter of a rickshaw puller who has emerged to be one of the newest rappers out of Mumbai.

Saniya Mistri is an 11th standard student who entered the world of hip-hop 3 years ago and has been has been rapping ever since. To make ends meet, her father works as a rickshaw puller while her mother works multiple jobs.

However, her family's financial difficulties did not prevent her creativity from shining through. The young rapper doesn't even own a smartphone and relies on her peers to get her verses on record. Govandi, a suburban neighbourhood in eastern Mumbai, is home to this young rapper who goes by the name of Saniya MQ. What distinguishes her narrative is her unwavering resolve to bringing attention to the hardships experiences by lakhs living in poverty and the terrible experience of life around her.

When she first started, many people assumed she was one of the Dharavi rappers. However, the rapper is slowly making a name for herself in the Mumbai hip hop scene. She has an Instagram account where she has recently posted videos of her new songs, ‘Future ka kya’, ‘Janta hai kaun’, ‘Bhram’ and ‘Bahot dheet’. Saniya uploads her music videos on her eponymous YouTube channel. The young rapper is currently relatively unknown with only a few thousand followers. But her admiring journey against the odds has been admirable.

When asked about the obstacles she experienced, Saniya recently told a national news outlet that for the longest time her parents had no idea about her rap skills and budding career as a music artist. However, her mother was reportedly overjoyed when she watched Saniya perform for the first time in public.