Mali has performed at top-tier festivals like Lollapalooza India, NH7 Weekender, and Magnetic Fields, becoming a beloved name among discerning music lovers. While she’s best known for her indie work, Mali has also made her mark in film music: lending her vocals and songwriting talents to acclaimed soundtracks in Tamil cinema, including Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada and Queen. Her debut album Caution to the Wind was lauded for its introspective lyrics and retro-modern sound, cementing her place as one of India’s most compelling contemporary voices.

If you've ever heard Age of Limbo during a 2 am doomscrolling session, chances are you paused, sighed and thought, “Finally, someone’s put my pandemic existentialism into words.” That “someone” is Maalavika Manoj, aka Mali, a singer-songwriter with the voice of an old soul and the instincts of a modern storyteller. Her songs are little diaries with melodies.

IAGT at Mumbai Comic Con 2025:

Which is why it’s fitting that she is part of It’s A Girl Thing (IAGT) showcase coming to Mumbai Comic Con 2025. Yes, the place where capes and cosplay rule is about to be invaded by heroines of a different sort: the ones who sing, speak, doodle, protest, create, one verse/voice note at a time.

“We'll be at the IAGT Salon next to the café, doing everything from meet-and-greets to panel chats and games. It's all about creating a safe space to show up and celebrate female empowerment,” says Emma Louise Fung, the founder of IAGT, who practically glows with the energy of someone who’s been on both sides of fandom: the one screaming in the audience and the one handing the mike to someone who never had it before.

At Comic Con on April 12-13, while everyone else is posing with life-size cut-outs of superheroes, the IAGT Lounge at Jio World Convention Centre, will be calling all main characters to step into their own arc. Their theme is: “Main Heroine Hoon.” It’s not subtle. And it’s not meant to be!

According to Emma, nearly 40% of Comic Con’s audience is already female. “So really, we're just inviting our community down to express themselves. To say: We’re here, and we’re the main characters too.” And Mali is the perfect headliner for a movement like that, not just because her songs have titles like Mundane and Absolute but because she doesn’t make music to fit into categories.

“I try to think of myself as an artist first, not a female artist. I don't like putting myself in boxes that way,”  

That’s the thing with Mali. Her music feels personal, like you’ve stumbled into a friend’s voice memo and found yourself in it. She insists she doesn’t always try to write about big, sweeping societal themes.

So how does she view her role in reshaping women’s narratives? “By leading by example, and hopefully shedding light on other artists like me (of all genders) to be listened to and respected on a global level.” That sounds like a modest thing to say, but when you’re part of a still-growing indie music scene in India, it’s also revolutionary.

“It happens without actively choosing what to write about. Sometimes it’s personal, sometimes societal. There’s no set formula,” she says. In other words, inspiration isn’t a neat recipe card, it’s the leftover playlist of emotions from last week’s headlines, old journals, overheard conversations at cafés, and probably, cats on the internet.

The Indian music industry is evolving, shapeshifting like a Rubik’s Cube in mid-solve. Artists are experimenting with visuals, activism, sonic textures, and formats. And Mali is part of that wave, never crashing into the scene, just gently redirecting the current.

“Each song is about something very different, and the music needs to service those emotions. I also love getting behind the visuals because it enhances how the music is consumed.”

She may be soft-spoken, but make no mistake: Mali is curating your emotional landscape, one hook at a time. While we’re talking about power and playlists, we had to ask—what would make the cut on her Ultimate Girl Power Anthems list?

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