After participating in gigs to raise funds for various initiatives and keep front- line workers entertained, Shankar Mahadevan discusses Kamal Haasan’s latest Tamil song
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; April 27, 2020)

Caught within the confines of his home-studio, Shankar Mahadevan finds himself busier than usual, during the period of Coronavirus lockdown. Apart from employing music to enable home-bound citizens to tackle with anxiety, he has been using his skills as a musician to subtly aid those braving the pandemic at the front- line. “We have done concerts for singers’ associations, and [ to raise money for] the PM-CARES fund. We’re [working on initiatives] in the Malayalam and Tamil industries as well, apart from performing for doctors to boost morale,” says Mahadevan, who also took part in an initiative to support folk singers affected by the pandemic, and aided struggling composers with monetary support.

In his latest endeavour, Mahadevan collaborated with Kamal Haasan for Arivum Anbum, a Tamil song that brings together various artistes from across India to spread the message of knowledge and unity. “I had created [songs] in Hindi, Marathi, and Malayalam, but not in Tamil. We’re using music as a tool to communicate a message. When music is used for a greater purpose, and you are chosen [to be part of it] from thousands of other singers, you feel humbled.”

Actor- politician Haasan’s frequent collaborator Ghibran has skillfully created the track that plays against rushes depicting people’s struggle with the pandemic. It is punctuated by clips of artistes like Anirudh Ravichander, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Shruti Haasan, Bombay Jayashree, Lydian, Siddharth, Sid Sriram and Mugen, crooning the song.

“In situations like this one, while the quality [of the video] is valuable, it is the message that is [the most] important,” says Mahadevan, whose portions were shot by his children in his home-studio.

When he isn’t playing second fiddle in the fight against the pandemic, Mahadevan hops aboard a video conferencing platform every Wednesday and Saturday, to conduct a masterclass for the students of his academy. “I also spend time in the studio with my sons [Siddharth and Shivam]. My elder son is a producer, so I don’t need anyone else. We’re like a band in the studio. We have been using this time to practice.”