For Shankar Mahadevan, music has always been more than a profession. A Grammy-winning artiste and four-time National Film Award winner, he has spent decades creating some of Indian cinema’s most memorable songs, with hits from Dil Chahta Hai, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Raazi, Dil Dhadakne Do and several others.

Today, one of his biggest joys is being able to share that musical journey with his sons, Shivam and Siddharth. Ask him what it feels like to share the stage with them as fellow musicians, and Mahadevan describes it as the greatest blessing of his life.

“Every single day, I say a prayer of gratitude for one reason: I am a privileged father who gets to stand on stage with both my sons and perform alongside them,” he says. “That is the greatest blessing, reward and earning of my life. Very few people get to experience something like this.”

For Shankar, the relationship goes beyond that of a father and his children. After years of pursuing music with sincerity, he feels fortunate to have found in his sons not just family, but creative partners with whom he can share his deepest passion.

“After spending so many years trying to be an honest and sincere musician, God has blessed me with not just two sons, but two musical companions, with whom I can talk, create, discuss and share music,” he says.

It is this companionship that makes performing together particularly special for the singer-composer. The stage becomes an extension of their relationship, a space where generations meet through music, ideas are exchanged and creativity becomes a shared experience. “For me, that is what a truly beautiful life looks like,” he adds.

And for an artiste who has spent decades on some of the biggest stages and earned some of the highest honours in Indian music, it is perhaps telling that his greatest reward is not another award or hit song, but the opportunity to make music alongside his sons.

Shankar Mahadevan is a part of the music composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. But besides the group, he also has an independent identity as a playback and classical singer. And, Shankar is glad that his sons, singers Siddharth Mahadevan and Shivam Mahadevan, have managed to carve their own niche. “For a father, it’s the greatest blessing to see his children taking their own flight and not living under his shadow. Seeing my sons create their own identities feels satisfying,” says the Padma Shri recipient, who will be performing in the city alongside singers Hariharan and Shilpa Rao, today.

While Siddharth (29) is a composer-singer, who has songs like Zinda (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag; 2013), Nachde Ne Saare (Baar Baar Dekho; 2015) and Nok Jhok (Chhapaak; 2020), among others, to his credit, Shivam (21), too, has done playback for films and web projects, including Delhi Safari (2012) and Bandish Bandits. He is also seen jamming with his father on Instagram quite often.

For the 55-year-old, the best time is when he creates music with his sons. “When I get on the stage and sing with both my children like band members, it feels amazing. I can’t really explain how satisfying that feels. We jam, learn, create, record, discuss and argue. So, it is a wonderful musical team that we have,” says Mahadevan.

What: Rehmatein

When: Today (August 25), 6.30pm onwards

Where: Shanmukhananda Auditorium, Sion

His soft-spoken voice belies his power-packed vocals in Bollywood numbers. His eagerness to learn new things is testimony to the fact that he wants to explore the vast diverse world of music. Meet Siddharth Mahadevan, the voice behind hits like Zinda (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag), Hulla Re (2 States), Pehli Baar (Dil Dhadakne Do) and Nachde Ne Saare (Baar Baar Dekho). Following in his father's (Shankar Mahadevan) footsteps, the 23-year-old has also composed music for a couple of Marathi and Hindi movies. The young artiste, who is riding high on the success of his latest number, Teen Gawah Hain Ishq Ke from the upcoming film Mirzya, shares his musical journey with Bombay Times.

Your earlier songs have been high-energy numbers. Was it a conscious decision to explore new genres with Nachde and Teen Gawah...?
Nachde is my first wedding song. Composer Jasleen Royal asked me if I would want to sing it. When I heard the track, I loved it as it's funky. I was excited as I hadn't sung a wedding number before. Teen Gawah... is a special song for me. It's a beautiful composition and Gulzar saab's lyrics are wonderful. I'm happy that I finally got a chance to sing a romantic song.

Are things easier when you work with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy?
I have a great time recording with them as they treat me like family. I've grown up watching them and it's been a learning experience. Today, they ask me for my inputs and I share my compositions with them. Ehsaan has even recorded guitar riffs for a few of my compositions. So, we share a fantastic relationship.

Did you always want to become a musician since you were exposed to it since a young age?
I've always loved music. When I was three, my dad realised that I had a good sense of rhythm and could repeat complicated patterns, which is a difficult thing to do for a kid of that age. The next year, my parents gifted me a pair of congas as I enjoyed playing percussion and musical instruments. Also, I come from a middle-class South Indian family where this art form is given a lot of importance. So, I learnt Carnatic and Hindustani classical music.

What challenges did you face when you started out?
Before I sang Zinda, everybody kept telling me to find my comfort zone and create an identity. I was confused about what the future held for me. I always knew that I would make a career in music. I had sung songs before Zinda. But you always look forward to a mainstream Bollywood debut as this is the most glamorous part of the singing industry. Thankfully, I got lucky that this song became popular. People soon started identifying me with a specific genre. Now, they want me to explore new ones. As a composer, I feel there is a lot of competition today and it's not easy to make your mark. So, both streams have equal challenges.

Since you are a composer too, does it help you understand other's compositions better when you are singing for them?
Singing and composing are two completely different roles. When you are composing, you are the captain of the ship. There is no end to creativity and what you can do. But when you are singing for someone else, it's a challenge to fulfill his vision. I enjoy singing as well as composing. I can't pick between the two. Both are equally dear to me.

Do you agree with composers trying out different singers before zeroing in on one voice?
I agree with directors wanting to try three voices for a song. But anything more than that is unnecessary. Today, directors like to try out more sounds as they never know which one might work. At the end of the day, it's all about the song. That is bigger than anybody and whatever has to be done to take it to the highest level should be done.

This is proving to be quite a happening year for Siddharth Mahadevan. While his Pehli Baar has turned out to make waves, he is also kicked about the music he's composed for a few Marathi films. In a chat with Bombay Times, the 22-year-old opens up about singing for his father, Shankar Mahadevan, and why composing is closer to his heart.

How did Pehli Baar happen?
We'd recorded the song almost a year-and-a-half ago. I was in the studio when SEL (Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy) were composing the track. The first part had lyrics in English that were penned by Loy. And for the hook, dad has written some dummy words. They wanted someone to sing the scratch and since I was around, they asked me to record it. Then, when the song was ready, Zoya (Akhtar) listened to it and she liked my voice. She asked me to come over and give the song a final shot. Actually, Sukriti Kakar and I sang the numbers with different feels. We had a blast behind the mike.

Was singing the song easy since your dad is one of the composers?
Nothing is easy in the industry because everything is professional. I had a goofy experience singing the number, because the brief given to us was quite simple. We were given a lot of freedom to experiment. Even picturisation-wise, Zoya had let the actors (Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma) choreograph the number. But yes, when I sing for my father, there's a sense of security. He knows my potential and won't be satisfied with anything less.

Did you have any tips to share with Sukriti, since she's a newcomer to play back?
Her sister Akriti sings with my father on his shows, and they are like family friends. We went to record this song together, and probably because I'm used to recording studios and have sung before, I was more comfortable than her. I didn't have any tips for Sukriti because she was quite cool herself. The best thing about SEL as composers is that they make artistes feel very comfortable. They don't intimidate you, and keep the studio set-up casual. That said, being nervous while recording is good as well because for me, it helps bring out my best. I was nervous when I recorded my first number too!

You've composed for a couple of Marathi films recently. How was the experience of working in a regional language?
I've sung in South Indian songs as well, but I don't understand them. That said, language is never ever a problem. Music transcends all barriers. In fact, I can say, Marathi is my mother tongue. My mom's Marathi and I speak the language.

What do you prefer - singing or composing?
Composing is dear to my heart. My brother Soumil Shringarpure and I have been writing songs from our childhood and have always jammed together. I also play drums and keys. We've been putting down tunes and playing for our family.


How important are awards for you?
Awards come with a lot of responsibilities. They drive you to achieve more. The RD Burman Award for New Music Talent (for Zinda in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) is quite special because it's also the first award my dad got for Dil Chahta Hai!

Is there a difference between singing your own numbers and singing for other composers?
Whichever way, a music director is the captain. When you record your own number, you have lived with that song since its inception, since the time it was composed, produced and arranged. So, the tune comes naturally, and you probably relate 0.1% better to it. But with others' songs, you know about it only when you reach the studio. So, it takes a wee bit longer for you to own it. Singing another composer's song like you know it inside out is a challenge.

What's your present line-up?
I am working on films, a couple of theme-based albums and collaborations.

While 2014 was the year which saw new playback voices become stars, and young and multiple music composers replacing the old norm of one composer per film, it was heartening to see 18-year-old composers Shankar Ehsaan Loy win the award for the best composers for 2 States at the 7th Royal Stag Mirchi Music Awards. Excerpts from a conversation with the most simple, but extremely talented Shankar Mahadevan:

SEL won the award for the best album for 2 States as well as best composers of 2014.
In today's day and age, in most albums, only one or two songs become hits whereas the other songs go unnoticed. In 2 States, each and every song became a hit and that means a lot to me. While Galliyan was the most popular song last year, we knew that 2 States was the No. 1 selling album. And the Mirchi jury understands this. They awarded Best Song, Best Composer and Best Album separately to make this distinction, as you cannot award an album basis just one song.

This is the first time that you won an award with your son Siddharth Mahadevan.
I want to thank Mirchi for this as it is the first time that we both got an award together and that too, for the same album as we sung a song together in 2 States. What made it even more special was getting the award from a maestro like Zakir Hussain.

Javed Akhtar sahab has been awarded the lifetime achievement award. You have a long-term association with him.
He has been like a pillar of strength for us in the industry. Like us, he is not intimidated by the industry and does not shy away from calling a spade a spade. Over the last 18 years of us being composers, he has been a friend, philosopher and guide. He has never shied away from speaking the truth and has never been insecure. At a time when other writers came in and started charging Rs 50000 for writing dialogues for films, Salim-Javed would charge Rs 21 lakh. He doesn't get swayed by what other people are doing as he is aware of his talent. He is a class apart from others. His biggest quality as a writer is that he can capture a deep thought in the simplest of words.

Javed sahab is always in control of his emotions. Have you ever seen him emotional?
The first time I saw Javed sahab crying was on his 70th birthday, which the entire fraternity of singers, composers and people from the industry recently celebrated at his farmhouse in Lonavala. I gifted him a piano for his farmhouse. He inaugurated the piano and all of us sang Kal Ho Naa Ho in chorus for him. He was in tears and so were some of us (Shabana Azmi, Sonu Nigam, Ram Sampath, me and many of us). I had never seen him cry before. That day looking at Javed sahab crying, I knew that he felt satisfied in life.