Five Days in Mumbai: How Dilanjan Seneviratne Opened the Door to T-Series
Mumbai, 5 to 7 October 2021 | a Harris Jayaraj session, a Karisma Kapoor jingle and a first meeting with Bhushan Kumar | T-Series exclusive artist announcement, 17 March 2022
On 17 March 2022, T-Series announced Yohani as an exclusive artist, under a contract Dilanjan Seneviratne negotiated. The deal began five months earlier, in a single week in Mumbai, and it marked a turning point in his work as a music executive.
The week followed Manike Mage Hithe. By September 2021 the cover had passed 100 million YouTube views, and Indian management companies were approaching Dilanjan. Yohani's first India dates followed: Studio XO in Gurugram on 30 September and Hyderabad on 3 October, with her band LUNU.
Highlights include:
5 October 2021: Dilanjan and Yohani's first trip to Mumbai, where they met Sonu Lakhwani at the Exceed office. Lakhwani, of Supersonics and Wingman Talent, became Dilanjan's partner in India.
6 October 2021: Yohani recorded Popopop, the Hindi version of a song for the film The Legend, with the music director Harris Jayaraj.
7 October 2021, morning: Yohani recorded a jingle for Sukkhi Fashion Jewellery with Karisma Kapoor, a deal Dilanjan closed that week.
7 October 2021, 4pm: Dilanjan, Yohani and Sonu Lakhwani met Bhushan Kumar of T-Series in person, and talks to sign Yohani began.
The same fortnight put Yohani on Bigg Boss 15, where she taught Salman Khan Manike Mage Hithe. She returned to Colombo on 12 October 2021.
The partnership with Lakhwani divided the work. His team handled Yohani's FRRO registration, visas, Indian taxes and local management, while Dilanjan led the negotiation with T-Series himself.
The exclusive deal opened a run of T-Series releases. Manike, the Hindi version of Manike Mage Hithe sung by Yohani and Jubin Nautiyal for the film Thank God, was released on 16 September 2022. Jehda Nasha for An Action Hero followed on 17 November 2022, then Tu Saamne Aaye with Jubin Nautiyal and Chunari Mein Daag with Tony Kakkar and Ikka.
In 2022 Dilanjan moved to Mumbai with Yohani, running her career from the city where the deal was made.
