Mahesh Tinaikar's ex-Mumbai commissioner father wanted him to study. But at 18 he picked up a guitar and changed Indian rock music

Mahesh Tinaikar’s journey from a music-loving boy in Bombay to the lead guitarist of pioneering rock band Indus Creed began with a dream his parents wanted him to postpone. His father, S S Tinaikar, was Bombay’s famously strict municipal commissioner and expected his son to focus on studies. But at 18, Mahesh finally picked up a guitar, setting himself on a path that would help shape India’s rock scene. The musician died of cardiac arrest on Thursday, aged 63, leaving behind a lasting musical legacy.

From borrowed records to an electric guitar

Tinaikar’s fascination with music began when he was around eight years old. Growing up in 1970s Bombay, he listened to Indian classical and film music on his mother’s radio. His interest expanded when his elder brother brought home borrowed records by rock bands The Ventures and The Shadows.

The music sparked a desire to play in a band, although he had to wait until he turned 18 to get his hands on a guitar. His parents wanted him to complete his studies first, making his eventual entry into the rock scene an unconventional beginning for a musician who would become known for his guitar work with Indus Creed.

The meeting that led to Rock Machine

In the early 1980s, Tinaikar and fellow guitarist Jayesh Gandhi approached bassist Mark Selwyn at his home without an invitation. They wanted to start a band and asked Selwyn to join them. The meeting helped set the stage for Rock Machine, which also featured drummer Suresh Bhadricha and singer Ian Santamaria.

The group went on to become Indus Creed, emerging as one of India’s pioneering rock bands. Tinaikar’s rise was particularly striking given his family background. While he pursued loud guitars and rock performances, his father held a prominent position in Mumbai’s civic administration and was known for his strict approach.

Milind Deora remembers Tinaikar’s influence

Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora paid tribute to the guitarist on X, recalling how early he had encountered Tinaikar’s music. Deora said he was deeply saddened by the musician’s untimely death and remembered Tinaikar as the first person he had ever seen play an electric guitar.

Deora also noted that he had known Tinaikar since childhood and highlighted the family connection that made the musician’s story unusual: his father, S S Tinaikar, had served as the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Indus Creed’s journey from Rock Machine to a reunion

Indus Creed was originally formed in 1985 by Uday Benegal, Mahesh Tinaikar, Zubin Balaporia, Mark Selwyn, Jayesh Gandhi and Mark Menezes. The band became a trailblazer for Indian rock, helping lay the groundwork for contemporary rock music and the country’s growing independent music scene, as per info on their website.

The group disbanded in 1997, bringing its initial run to an end. It reunited in 2010 with founding members Benegal, Tinaikar and Balaporia, returning with a revised lineup. Jai Row Kavi, Krishna Jhaveri and Gaurav Gupta later joined the band.

Albums, awards and an enduring place in Indian rock

Over the years, Indus Creed released four albums and toured extensively. The band received several accolades, including Best Band at the Jack Daniel’s Rock Awards in 2012 and a place in Vh1 India’s Hall of Fame in 2014.

Its 2012 album EVOLVE was mixed by Grammy-nominated engineer Tim Palmer, whose credits include work with Pearl Jam, U2, Ozzy Osbourne and Tears for Fears. Released by Universal Music India, the album marked another chapter in the band’s musical journey.

Tinaikar’s career connected the early days of Indian rock with the country’s later independent music movement. From discovering rock records as a child to helping build and revive a pioneering band, his story was closely tied to the evolution of a distinct Indian rock identity.