In this candid and inspiring conversation, Cyrus Broacha sits down with Faisal Shaikh, popularly known as Mr Faisu, one of India’s biggest digital creators with over 34 million followers.

Faisu shares his journey from growing up in a modest background in Mumbai to becoming a social media sensation. He talks about survival mindset, early struggles, and how he started creating content with his “07” group during the early days of Instagram.The episode dives deep into:
 His first earnings (₹300 from Instagram!) 
 Building a career through consistency and content 
 Reality show experiences: Khatron Ke Khiladi, MasterChef, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa
 Why he avoids “game-playing” and stays authentic 
 His strong bond with friends and family despite fame 
 Fitness discipline and lifestyle choices 
 Future plans in acting, OTT, and films 

Faisu also reflects on humility, loyalty, and why staying grounded matters even after massive success.A must-watch for creators, aspiring influencers, and anyone chasing big dreams.

Follow:
Faisal Shaikh (Mr Faisu): @mr_faisu_07
Cyrus Broacha: @cyrus_broacha

In this candid and inspiring conversation, Cyrus Broacha sits down with Faisal Shaikh, popularly known as Mr Faisu, one of India&rsquo;s biggest digital creators with over 34 million followers. Faisu shares his journey from growing up in a modest background in Mumbai to becoming a social media sensation. He talks about survival mindset, early struggles, and how he started creating content with his &ldquo;07&rdquo; group during the early days of Instagram.The episode dives deep into:
<ul>
<li>&nbsp;His first earnings (₹300 from Instagram!)&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;Building a career through consistency and content&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;Reality show experiences:&nbsp;Khatron Ke Khiladi,&nbsp;MasterChef,&nbsp;Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa</li>
<li>&nbsp;Why he avoids &ldquo;game-playing&rdquo; and stays authentic&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;His strong bond with friends and family despite fame&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;Fitness discipline and lifestyle choices&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;Future plans in acting, OTT, and films&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Faisu also reflects on humility, loyalty, and why staying grounded matters even after massive success.A must-watch for creators, aspiring influencers, and anyone chasing big dreams. Follow: Faisal Shaikh (Mr Faisu): @mr_faisu_07 Cyrus Broacha: @cyrus_broacha

Broadcasting through the week with a rotating panel of guests, Cyrus Says is the definitive show on life in urban India, politics, sports, civic sense, traffic, kids, food, and everything that matters. Mostly.

Broadcasting through the week with a rotating panel of guests, Cyrus Says is the definitive show on life in urban India, politics, sports, civic sense, traffic, kids, food, and everything that matters. Mostly.

Cyrus Says

Reality Shows, Hustle & Staying Real | Mr. Faisu AKA Faisal Shaikh | Cyrus Says

National Award-winning Indian classical vocalist Mahesh Kale joins Cyrus Broacha for a warm and wide-ranging conversation about music, career choices, spirituality and sport.

Mahesh shares how growing up around bhajans and classical music in Pune shaped his musical instincts, even as he followed the conventional path of studying engineering. He recalls the emotional encounter during his master’s programme in America that pushed him to reconsider a Silicon Valley career and give music his full attention.

He also talks about supporting himself through teaching, working in Marathi musical theatre, performing in Katyar Kaljat Ghusali and receiving national recognition for his singing.

The episode explores the philosophy behind Mahesh’s Abhangwari concerts and his efforts to connect Indian classical music with younger listeners. From writing bandishes about artificial intelligence and self-driving cars to experimenting with EDM, Mahesh explains why tradition must remain authentic while also finding new spaces in which to be discovered.

Cyrus and Mahesh also discuss football, cricket, Messi, Neymar and the psychology of high-level sport before ending with a classical music quiz and a spontaneous performance.

National Award-winning Indian classical vocalist Mahesh Kale joins Cyrus Broacha for a warm and wide-ranging conversation about music, career choices, spirituality and sport.
Mahesh shares how growing up around bhajans and classical music in Pune shaped his musical instincts, even as he followed the conventional path of studying engineering. He recalls the emotional encounter during his master&rsquo;s programme in America that pushed him to reconsider a Silicon Valley career and give music his full attention.
He also talks about supporting himself through teaching, working in Marathi musical theatre, performing in Katyar Kaljat Ghusali and receiving national recognition for his singing.
The episode explores the philosophy behind Mahesh&rsquo;s Abhangwari concerts and his efforts to connect Indian classical music with younger listeners. From writing bandishes about artificial intelligence and self-driving cars to experimenting with EDM, Mahesh explains why tradition must remain authentic while also finding new spaces in which to be discovered.
Cyrus and Mahesh also discuss football, cricket, Messi, Neymar and the psychology of high-level sport before ending with a classical music quiz and a spontaneous performance.

Music, Spirituality and Sports with Mahesh Kale | Cyrus Says

Welcome to Cyrus Says!

In this episode, Cyrus sits down with Girish Talwar and Debayan Deb, founder and co-founder of Rebellion Management, for a fascinating conversation about India’s independent music movement, artist management, live events, creator culture, and how entertainment businesses are actually built from the ground up. Girish reflects on his journey from law school and playing bass in Zero to helping shape the indie scene through Only Much Louder(OML), artist management, CDs, music videos, festivals, and eventually some of the biggest shifts in Indian live entertainment. Debayan adds the next-generation lens, sharing how fandom, the internet, and modern creator ecosystems changed the way talent is discovered, built, and monetized.

The conversation moves through the rise of OML, the early independent band circuit, NH7 Weekender, artist communities, Babblefish, branded content, streaming, music economics, Vir Das, creator management, sync licensing, and how Rebellion now works across music, creators, and brand partnerships. It is funny, nostalgic, sharply observant, and full of real industry insight on what it takes to build culture before the market is ready for it. 

This is a great episode for anyone interested in music, entrepreneurship, media, and the business of entertainment in India.

Welcome to Cyrus Says! In this episode, Cyrus sits down with Girish Talwar and Debayan Deb, founder and co-founder of Rebellion Management, for a fascinating conversation about India&rsquo;s independent music movement, artist management, live events, creator culture, and how entertainment businesses are actually built from the ground up. Girish reflects on his journey from law school and playing bass in Zero to helping shape the indie scene through Only Much Louder(OML), artist management, CDs, music videos, festivals, and eventually some of the biggest shifts in Indian live entertainment. Debayan adds the next-generation lens, sharing how fandom, the internet, and modern creator ecosystems changed the way talent is discovered, built, and monetized. The conversation moves through the rise of OML, the early independent band circuit, NH7 Weekender, artist communities, Babblefish, branded content, streaming, music economics, Vir Das, creator management, sync licensing, and how Rebellion now works across music, creators, and brand partnerships. It is funny, nostalgic, sharply observant, and full of real industry insight on what it takes to build culture before the market is ready for it.&nbsp; This is a great episode for anyone interested in music, entrepreneurship, media, and the business of entertainment in India.

Girish Talwar and Debayan Deb on OML, NH7 Weekender, Rebellion and India’s Music Business | Cyrus Says

Most people collect degrees to build a career. Kailashnath Koppikar collected an MBBS, an MBA, film-school experience, jobs in cinema and television, ghostwriting work and then decided to start doing open mics.Naturally, Cyrus is offended on behalf of every Indian parent.Kailashnath and Aakash Mehta joins Cyrus Broacha to discuss his journey from medicine to NFDC, film production, television and stand-up comedy. They also get into Backspace, the importance of doing the unglamorous work, Aakash’s international tour and the strange economics of performing comedy abroad.The conversation then behaves like every Cyrus Says episode should: Christopher Nolan eating at Olympia, alcohol becoming a vaccine, unsuccessful fishing trips, Bollywood feuds, cricket fans, Rajinikanth in Japan, ancient Egyptian gold tongues and current affairs solved with absolutely no responsibility.Come for the career advice. Stay because nobody remembers what the original topic was.

Most people collect degrees to build a career. Kailashnath Koppikar collected an MBBS, an MBA, film-school experience, jobs in cinema and television, ghostwriting work and then decided to start doing open mics.Naturally, Cyrus is offended on behalf of every Indian parent.Kailashnath and Aakash Mehta joins Cyrus Broacha to discuss his journey from medicine to NFDC, film production, television and stand-up comedy. They also get into Backspace, the importance of doing the unglamorous work, Aakash&rsquo;s international tour and the strange economics of performing comedy abroad.The conversation then behaves like every&nbsp;Cyrus Says&nbsp;episode should: Christopher Nolan eating at Olympia, alcohol becoming a vaccine, unsuccessful fishing trips, Bollywood feuds, cricket fans, Rajinikanth in Japan, ancient Egyptian gold tongues and current affairs solved with absolutely no responsibility.Come for the career advice. Stay because nobody remembers what the original topic was.

Reality Shows, Hustle & Staying Real | Mr. Faisu AKA Faisal Shaikh | Cyrus Says

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