Tinaikar, lead guitarist of Indian rock pioneers Indus Creed, has died in Mumbai at the age of 63. His bandmates confirmed his death to Rolling Stone India, reportedly following a suspected heart attack.
Mahesh Tinaikar helped establish the foundations of Indian rock when he co-founded Rock Machine in 1984. The original lineup featured vocalist Ian Santamaria, bassist Mark Selwyn, rhythm guitarist Aftab Currim and drummer Suresh Bhadricha alongside Tinaikar.
The band initially built its reputation by performing covers of international rock acts, including Deep Purple, The Who, Van Halen and Rush. In 1993, the group adopted the name Indus Creed as it pursued a more distinctive sound and incorporated traditional Indian instruments into its music.
The band gained wider recognition with songs such as “Pretty Child” and “Fireflies.” Its music video for “Pretty Child” won an MTV Asia Video Music Award, while Rolling Stone India later included “Top of the Rock” and “Pretty Child” in its list of the 25 greatest Indian rock songs of the previous 25 years.
Although the band split in 1997, Indus Creed reunited in 2010 and released Evolve in 2012. Tinaikar continued performing and recording with the group, which most recently supported Def Leppard at their Mumbai concert in March 2026.
Fellow musicians paid tribute to Tinaikar following news of his death. Pentagram frontman Vishal Dadlani remembered him as a pioneering musician whose work inspired generations of Indian rock artists.
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An entity of flesh and bones in pursuit of becoming a higher being. A connoisseur of the mystic arts and everything musical. His origins are unknown, and so are his true motives.
