At just 25, folk singer Maithili Thakur has become Bihar’s youngest MLA, winning the Alinagar seat on a BJP ticket and helping the party reclaim the region after 17 years. Before this milestone, she faced repeated hurdles, from reality show rejections to classmates mocking her as “stupid Bihari,” which made her avoid social interactions and sit on the first bench in class.
At home, her family shifted 17 times in ten years because neighbours objected to the sound of daily music practice. Despite these setbacks, she continued practising and performing, eventually gaining a huge following online and entering politics as Bihar’s youngest Member of the Legislative Assembly in the recent election.
Mocked as "Bihari"
Maithili Thakur speaks openly about how deeply schoolyard remarks affected her. She said in an old interview in her own YouTube channel that , “They would simply say stupid Bihari.” She said the insult pushed her to withdraw from other students. “I had a phobia of girls my age. I became a first bencher and never made friends,” she said. The label stayed with her and shaped how she viewed herself during those early years when she was also trying to understand her musical identity.
Rejection almost crumbled her
Maithili also described how repeated rejections from reality shows left her questioning her place in music. She told that she cried after being rejected from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs for sounding too classical. She tried again with Indian Idol Junior but faced the same outcome. “Sometimes they do not even tell you why you are rejected. I used to feel extremely bad,” she said. She explained that she even tried singing Bollywood songs just to fit in, adding, “I would sing whatever they wanted, but nothing worked.” These moments discouraged her, but her commitment to music only strengthened with time.
She also revealed that she wanted to quit singing and wanted to prepare for UPSC exams since she was good at studies.
Maithili’s mother recalls her experience
Her family life also carried its own challenges. Her mother, Bharti Thakur, told The Indian Express that the family changed houses 17 times in ten years because neighbours could not tolerate the sound of their daily practice. She said, “These kids were never naughty, but we kept moving so that they could practise peacefully.” The family lived in small attached houses where sound traveled easily. They eventually bought a home in Dwarka and later shifted to a soundproofed apartment so Maithili and her brothers could continue their riyaaz without conflict.
Holding on to her musical roots
Maithili continued to learn from her father and grandfather despite these disruptions. She started performing at jagrans and small gatherings at the age of ten. She said that the folk and classical songs she performs are closely tied to her heritage. “This is our culture. These are our roots. We have learnt them from our father,” she said. As she and her brothers began sharing videos online, they gradually built a wide audience that appreciated their style without demanding that she change it.
Bihar’s Youngest MLA at 25
In 2025, Maithili entered public life by contesting the Bihar Assembly elections from the Alinagar constituency on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. She won and became the youngest MLA in the state at 25. After her victory, she told reporters, “People have a lot of expectations of me. Right now, I can only see Alinagar and how I can work for them.” In an earlier interview when she had been asked about her ambitions, she said, “I want power to bring meaningful change”.
Maithili Thakur has a massive following, with around 7 million on Instagram, 5.2 million YouTube subscribers, and 15.8 million followers on Facebook.
