At just 25, Madhav Setia has carved an extraordinary path as an award‑winning lawyer, historian, model, and author. A graduate of the London School of Economics with an MSc in Human Rights, his work reflects a deep engagement with decolonial and subaltern narratives. His recent book, Panjab Musical and Hymns Beyond, has been hailed as “2025’s Must‑Read,” blending history, memory, and melody into a critically acclaimed offering.
What came first—law, history, or the runway?
History, undeniably. Way before I studied jurisprudence or set foot on a runway, I was enamoured by the stories that shaped civilizations. Law came next, as the organized narrative of justice. The runway, though, was the most unexpected chapter, but no less historical in its own right. Fashion, after all, is time stitched into fabric. Each thread, statute, and story came together to weave the person I now present to the world.
What inspired your book Panjab Musical and Hymns Beyond?
Panjab Musical was born out of a longing for a book celebrating Punjab in the global literary world. I wanted to hear Punjab’s echoes in poems, its memory in scriptural rhythm, and its pulse in prose. What inspired the book most of all was my love for Punjab. I wanted to keep the stories of my childhood summers and winters spent in this land alive. The mustard fields, the songs playing from cassette radios, the laughter that spilled through courtyards. And I wanted to honour the memory of my grandparents, whose spirit still echoes in every word. The book is truly both an archive and an offering – a true melodic map to the spiritual geography of Punjab, and my memories thereof.
Has your legal training shaped your approach to history and writing?
Absolutely. Law taught me to read between the lines, to hold contradictions, and to trust in structure without being shackled by it. It trained my instinct to interrogate narratives, question power, and write with clarity, even when navigating shifting narratives. Legal thinking taught me that every silence in history is cross‑examinable.
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