If you are a 90s kid, Shaan's Love-ology and Tanha Dil are sure to resonate with you. In an interview, the singer talks of the callous charm of freshers, adapting to changing times, staying relevant and his future plans
MID-DAY (June 2, 2016)

W e meet Shaan at his plush Bandra apartment and he is quick to tell us that he often gets nostalgic about his old childhood home in the city. Having started his career at 17, the singer, one of the most versatile of our generation, has dabbled in various genres of music such as pop, jazz, ghazals and hip-hop among others. He has also sung songs in over a dozen Indian languages, and has been felicitated with titles like Golden Voice of India, Voice of Paradise, Magician of Melody and Voice of Youth. Currently coaching the winner of The Voice, Pawandeep Rajan, Shaan confesses that he isn’t a choosy singer and is open to experimenting. Excerpts from an interview with him

Was playback singing always your career option or did it happen later?
It wasn’t really a career option. At one point, I was contemplating becoming an investigative journalist or getting into advertising. But then singing came naturally given my father’s background, and I stumbled upon lucrative opportunities which I grabbed with both hands. Eventually, IndiPop happened and Tanha Dil clicked. There was no looking back. However, in my early days, I did some odd jobs like selling Cable TV points (connections), working in a boutique and also setting up a DTP Company. Those days, Desk Top Publishing was the in thing (laughs).

Today, the concept of playback singing has changed due to modern technology. Has it affected your work?
Change is inevitable. Yes, modern technology has brought in new players, maybe not necessarily technically sound but they have brought in the X factor and spontaneity to singing. There is this callous charm in freshers today. I welcome the change, as I too have been evolving and am always ready to experiment.

What do you have to say about the new trend of actors singing even though they are not suitable for playback?
In the ’50s and ’60s, certain actors rendered their own playback. What matters is that the person ought to have ‘singing ki sense’, which most of those you mentor have displayed in their work.

A number of singing-based reality show winners are trying to make their mark in Bollywood. But do they really have a future?
Of course. We see a lot of singers on YouTube gaining recognition and it is comparatively easier for this generation. For me, I was lucky enough to be recognised by Aadeshji with Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai in the initial phase of my career.

We grew up listening to Loveology and your other hippop hits. Any new albums in the pipleline?
This is the era of singles. Hence, we are coming out with a single with T-Series composed by Armaan Malik. I hope listeners will shower their love on this one.

Your sister, Sagarika motivated you to sing. Will we see both of you reunite for a song?
We are poles apart. She gets up one day, moves to London, and the next day she is in Rome — more of a globetrotter. I am more the local guy, hanging out in Bandra. Sagarika was instrumental in pushing me into live shows. She is in Italy now and happy in her own world.

Live shows are keeping singers current and popular. How often do you do live shows?
I do around five-six live shows a month. It keeps me alive and I feel the energy of the audience which re-energises me.

Your wife recently started a website, Happydemic, that books artists for events. How did you contribute to her venture?
While I am pushing her to do something innovative, it’s Radhika’s baby. My wife is a peoples’ person.

You’ve danced on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Any other hidden talent you would want to explore in future?
Frankly, I wasn’t confident about taking part. I was literally pushed into it by my wife. Eventually, I began taking it seriously and wanted to prove her right. There were trying times during the competition but it was Radhika’s pep-talks that boosted my morale and kept me going till the end.

If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
It has been a good journey for me. I strive to better my habits and would want to inculcate more discipline in myself.