India, Dec. 19 -- Jassie Gill arrives on the set of the Lifestyle Asia India cover shoot in the most unassuming manner. He blends in easily, chatting with the crew, checking the light, waiting patiently between takes. There's no starry fuss or manufactured mystery. He's polite, present, bilkul zameen se juda hua.

And then the camera comes on.

His posture changes, his eyes sharpen, and he instantly switches on in a way seasoned performers know how to flip. Gill has been here for nearly 15 years. His first album was released in 2011, and over the years, he has mastered the ability of being utterly ordinary one moment and unmistakably luminous in the next.

The rise of Jassie Gill: A working man's origin story When Gill speaks about his ea...