Manasi Scott – From Performing with Nick Jonas to Building India’s Boldest Skincare Brand (Award Winning Singer, Founder - Mana By Manasi)

"Self-care isn’t vanity—it’s connection. Whether through music or skincare, my mission is to help people feel whole again.”



Q. Manasi, you’ve built an incredible career as a singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Can you share with us the journey that led you to where you are today?

It’s hard to describe my journey in a linear way—it’s been more of a calling than a plan. I’ve always been a mountain girl at heart. I lived for two years in Bhutan and another two in Pithoragarh. Nature has been a constant presence in my life, and it’s deeply shaped who I am and the kind of work I do.

I come from a family of incredibly driven people. My father was a decorated war surgeon who went on to specialize in pediatric surgery. He even attempted to climb Mount Kamet and wintered over in Antarctica. Despite his strength and brilliance, he passed away tragically—and Big Pharma couldn’t do anything for him. 

That left a deep impact on me. My mother, on the other hand, continues to lead Pune Hospital as its director.

Someone who’s played a key role in my journey is Vidyut Jammwal. I admire him deeply, and he helped me realize that the human body is a 100% regenerative system. That completely shifted my perspective—on healing, on health, and on how we treat our bodies.

As an artist, music has always been my therapy. It’s a reminder. A reminder to reconnect—with our bodies, our emotions, and ourselves. I see my career not as separate threads of singing, songwriting, and entrepreneurship, but as one cohesive journey toward healing and self-awareness.

Q. Your skincare brand Mana By Manasi has gained attention for its unique offerings. What led you to start a skincare line, and how does your personal passion for self-care influence the products you create?

The journey of Mana by Manasi began very organically—it found me more than I found it. 

While I was pregnant, I discovered seabuckthorn. I didn’t get a single stretch mark, and that was my first personal testament to its power. I’ve had chronic alopecia since I was 15, and yet today, I have the kind of hair I never imagined possible. That transformation sparked something deeper.

Our skin is the largest organ, and yet, we often ignore it. We pop pills for quick fixes, but at the end of the day, if pills truly healed, there would be no such thing as a common cold. What we’re doing is suppressing—not healing. Through my products, I want to change that conversation.

Mana by Manasi isn’t your typical skincare brand. It’s about skin healing. The ingredients we use—like seabuckthorn—are grown above the treeline in the Himalayas. They are pure, powerful, and proven to work. I haven’t taken a single pill or even a vitamin supplement in five years, and I attribute that to a lifestyle rooted in natural wellness.

Self-care is not vanity—it’s connection. I want people to massage their skin, talk to their skin, and redevelop that relationship. Whether through music or skincare, my mission is the same: to offer therapeutic tools that bring people closer to themselves.

Q. As a successful entrepreneur and a busy artist, how do you manage to balance your music career with running a skincare brand? What keeps you motivated to excel in both areas?

For me, balance is everything—that’s why people meditate, why they go inward. I might not have fully cracked the entrepreneur code yet, but I have definitely figured out how to balance the many parts of my life.

Whether it's raising my son, launching Mana by Manasi, or diving into new creative projects, I take everything on headfirst. I’ve always had a lot of energy—like an Eveready battery. 

I’ve been that way since birth! My mom says I used to kick nonstop in her belly at six months, and I was walking and running long before most kids my age. I’ve played over 16 national-level sports, and that drive has never really stopped.

So, balance for me isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what fuels me. Music and skincare both come from the same place: passion, purpose, and healing. I haven’t reached where I truly want the brand to go yet, but I’m working toward that vision every day.

What keeps me going is the belief that both music and wellness can transform lives. Whether it's through a song or a skin ritual, if I can help people feel more whole, then that’s success in my eyes.

Q. You've made waves in the music industry with your distinctive style and voice. How do you feel the music industry has evolved over the years, and where do you see yourself in this ever-changing landscape?

The music industry has been on quite a ride. We started with live performances, moved into formats like 45s and LPs, then cassettes, CDs, MD players—and now we’ve kind of come full circle. We’re back to live performances, which I truly believe is where the heart of music lies.

While technology has evolved rapidly, I feel the growth of the music industry has actually become stagnant—and a big part of that is because of social media. What someone sounds like online doesn’t always reflect who they are as an actual musician or performer. 

There’s a gap between the digital image and the real artistic skill, and I’m currently exploring ways to bridge that gap through authentic content.

Social media has created this obsession with likes, views, and followers, and in that rush, we’ve lost a lot of great music. But there are still incredible global artists like Ed Sheeran, Charlie Puth, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus—they’ve managed to walk the line between staying true to their music and still playing the digital game.

In India, though, I feel we’re still struggling to find a strong, original voice that’s untouched by algorithm pressure. The focus has shifted away from the craft and more toward quick virality. As for me, I want to stand on the side of real musicianship and powerful storytelling—bringing the focus back to skill, soul, and sound.

Q. Can you tell us about a particularly memorable moment in your music career or entrepreneurial journey—one that shaped your perspective or pushed you to take things to the next level?

There have been many defining moments in my journey, but if I had to pick one, it would be the time I performed with the Jonas Brothers. They had never performed with another band before—and they performed with me. That was a huge milestone.

Opening for the first-ever IPL, singing alongside icons like Hugh Jackman and Brett Lee, performing at the World Military Games, and going on a 17-city world tour for Naach Le—all of this happened even before the era of social media. These weren’t just performances; they were statements of who I was becoming as an artist.

But what truly changed me was composing my first few original songs while pregnant with my son. That season brought about deep introspection and creative flow. On that album, I collaborated with legends like Milkha Singh and Palash Sen, which eventually led to us performing the NMACC show and receiving a standing ovation.

And then, during the pandemic, I performed 180 live shows in 145 days—every single day, sometimes for three hours straight. That earned me the INCA Award and reminded me that even in isolation, music can be a form of resilience, healing, and connection.

These moments didn’t just shape my career—they shaped me as a person. They pushed me to take ownership of my voice, my story, and my mission, both in music and in the entrepreneurial path I’ve chosen.

Q. For our readers and those following your journey, what would be your message to anyone who’s hesitant about pursuing their dreams or starting something new? How do you stay focused and resilient through challenges?

My message might surprise you—be hesitant. Don’t force focus. Deal with challenges in the way that feels right to you.

Honour every emotion. Live life fully. Dance hard. Love strong. Let yourself feel everything. When it comes to your craft—absolutely learn the technicalities. 

Ask the masters. Study. Refine. But when it comes to how you live your life, don’t seek advice. And don’t let others’ opinions dictate your choices.

Your life is entirely yours to live. Honour it. Own it. Celebrate it.

And if you’re looking for support, don’t just look for cheerleaders—find people who will bear witness to your life well lived. That’s where strength and clarity come from—not from control, but from conscious, wholehearted living.

Bio

Manasi Scott is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur, known for her genre-defying performances and over 3,000 live shows worldwide. She’s the only Indian artist to appear on the cover of The Week and has been called “the ultimate entertainer” by Citadel.

She’s performed with international stars like the Jonas Brothers, Hugh Jackman, and Brett Lee, and was the exclusive performer at Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’s wedding. Her popular tracks include “Naach Le” and the Punjabi-English hit “Kithe Chali”, which crossed 1 million views in its first week.

As an actress, she has appeared in Fitoor, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Acid Factory, and shows like Baby Come Naa, Kaushiki, and The Remix.

Manasi is also the founder of Mana by Manasi, a holistic skincare brand rooted in Himalayan botanicals and her own journey of self-healing. She was recently honored with the INCA Award for doing 179 back-to-back live concerts during the lockdown.

Whether on stage, on screen, or in business, Manasi blends power, artistry, and authenticity like few others in the industry.

Instagram

Interviewed By Irene Elina Eldhose