Karan (23), Hariharan (61) and Akshay (29)

An actor, a singer and a composer, the talented Hariharan family appreciates constructive criticism Relative
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 22, 2016)

Multiple National Award-winning ghazal and playback singer Hariharan is glad that his sons haven't taken after him. "Their grandmom sings, I sing, so they were both exposed to music at a very young age. But I never forced them into it," says the singer who was one-half of the Colonial Cousins. He adds that he consciously wanted to give his children a "regular childhood". While his elder son Akshay made his debut as a composer in the Marathi movie Kokanastha three years ago, his younger son, Karan, will make his acting debut in the upcoming murder mystery, Missing On A Weekend, starring art house thespian Pawan Malhotra. "If they had taken up singing, comparisons would be natural," says the 61-year-old singer, leaning back on the designer couch of his posh Powai apartment. "I would never dare to sing dad's songs, so I would do covers of Coldplay, Oasis or Bob Marley," says Karan, who has, on occasion, joined his dad in concerts. "We try not to be Hariharan's sons as much our own selves," Karan adds.

Hariharan shares that while growing up, Akshay was the "shy one", while Karan was the "dramebaaz" and both were offered to freedom to pursue their passions. So, could Akshay have been a cricketer, instead? "I nearly was," says Akshay, whose relationship with the sport took a backseat when he moved to Bangalore to continue his IB education. "There weren't many IB schools then. We had enrolled him in one in Panvel, but it shut down within eight months and he had to be shifted midterm," informs Hariharan. Following his graduation, Akshay went on to pursue a course from the LSE. "When he returned and said that he wanted to become a music producer, I was worried because I am an educated musician and I feel that you should know your basics." While Akshay had learnt music, he "hadn't spent as much time with it". "I am a musician but also his father, so I won't suggest a career option if I doubted his capability," says the concerned father.

Today, Akshay regrets having dropped out of cricket and his dad agrees that it could've been a safer careeer option, "When I started out, uss zamane mein paach-dus singer the. Today, there are hazaar. But cricketers are still the same number." Yet the spike in competition is not Hariharan's only concern.

"Entertainment is a difficult business. Everything is abstract here. It is nothing but giving a bundle of emotions to people, through music and art, and you can't quantify that." Akshay agrees, "And you need a USP that people love, which again is not quantifiable." "And people giving you work also don't know any better, so it's a lot of darkness," laughs the patriarch of the creative trio. He regrets that what is calculable, in today's metrics for measuring success, is social media clout. "Your whole life depends on the number of 'likes'."

Having shed the bulk from his 100-kg frame, Karan has already been introduced to the pressures of surviving in tinseltown even before his debut. "I have also taken lessons in Hindi and Urdu and also martial arts," says the graduate from The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in LA. Has being his dad's son helped? "The plus side is that my dad is humble, hard-working and honest to his craft and a great role model. The negative is — comparisons are inevitable."

Hariharan picked up on Karan's acting skills early on. "When he was three, he featured in one of my videos (Halka Nasha). At my concerts, he'd come on stage and say 'hello' to the audience." An incident etched in the singer's memory was the music release of a Venus movie, where Shah Rukh Khan was to helm the proceedings. "My entire family was present and when we were to have dinner, Karan refused to eat. He said he wanted to eat with Shah Rukh Khan. On enquiring the reason for his demand, he said, 'I want to discuss acting with him.' He was six then."

Having grown up at a time when their dad's albums rocked the charts, Akshay confesses that all his friends had his CDs. "In school, my classmates would discuss dad. One said, 'Hariharan lives in Chennai', another corrected him, 'Nahin, woh mere building ke peeche rehta hain'."

Hariharan claims that his relationship with his sons is that of a friend and that they share everything. "Over time, we've learnt how much to share," sniggers Akshay. While they love their dad's songs, they're also his harshest critics. The Padma Shri awardee remembers the time when one of his sons told him to take a break. "I used to frequent Chennai then and I thought that they were missing me. Later, they told me, 'The last lot of songs was very bad'," he laughs. His sons attempt salvaging this memory with a slew of their favourite numbers by their dad — Krishna, Dard Ke Rishte and Tu Hi Re. Is there a least favourite number? "ABCDEFGHI from Hum Saath Saath Hain," says Akshay blankly. "Yes, I sang that too," laughs Hariharan.