Besides his award-winning songs, composer-singer Shankar Mahadevan has one more feather added to his cap. The musician was conferred with an honorary doctorate by the University of Birmingham (UK) at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Saturday (June 24). “I come from a simple middle-class background and I’d never imagined receiving this kind of recognition one day,” says the Padma Shri recipient.

Besides his family, the 56-year-old also had his Shakti (music group) members, tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and guitarist John McLaughlin, in attendance: “They are not just my close friends, but also philosophers, guides and mentors in my musical journey.”

Ask if he ever expected a doctorate and Mahadevan, who is a computer engineer, says, “Never! The kind of marks I’d get as a computer engineering student are a testimony to that (laughs). The magic and joy of music changed everything.”

The Dhaakad (2022) composer — who plans to throw a party for his friends and family in Mumbai soon after returning to India — realises that the honour comes with added responsibility. “When you receive a recognition like this, it becomes a greater responsibility as a musician to work even harder to touch many more lives with your music and give them the joy of music,” he concludes.