Four-time National Award winner, Shankar Mahadevan, has been one of the best and most popular talents that Bollywood has produced. Along with making great music, the singer/composer is also helping aspiring singers break into the music industry through his role as a judge on the recently concluded Big Golden Voice, an initiative by Big FM. 

In an interview with Radioandmusic.com, the 48 year old talks about judging duties, his upcoming film ‘Katti Batti’, independent projects and much more.

How was your stint being a judge at Big Golden Voice?

It was a completely different experience because these kinds of reality shows are usually for television instead of radio. The main focus of Big Golden Voice was music and nothing else. The contest was more personalised with a smaller venue, with contestants standing a small distance away. It is also easy for participants to submit their entries. Radio, as a medium, has a mass reach so it is always good to work for something like this.

Will you pick singers from the Big Golden Voice to work with?

Yes, why not? There are so many good singers on the show who I would love to work with. Each one is different from the other in so many ways, even in terms of voice textures.

What is the one thing you look for in a voice when you select them to sing your song?

I look for unique identity, which according to me is very important. If you have a unique identity, you can stand out in the crowd, and everything else will fall in place.

You will soon make your acting debut for the Marathi film ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusali’. Tell us about that?

‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusali’ is a legendary play that is about 50-60 years old. The film is a musical opera, but in Marathi. We are adapting the play to a bigger screen, with a larger canvas and are also adding locations. I play the character of ‘Pandit Bhanushankar Shastri’, who knows nothing but music. I thought it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I immediately agreed to do the project. I attended a lot of acting workshops to get ready for the role. Shooting for the film is over and I am really excited to see on screen playing someone else.

In a recent interview, you expressed displeasure over Ricky Kej not being respected by Indians. Now that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appreciated him, what do you have to say about it?

I am happy that at least people are aware that there is another Indian who has won a Grammy award, and I think a lot of artists should be promoted.

How important is it for singers to have creative freedom in the studio?

I think it is very important for singers to have creative freedom, and I say this because I am a singer. I know the problems when recording a track. And there are times that a line might get difficult or the singers might have breathing issues, so you have to think about them and make them feel comfortable in the first 30 seconds of the recording. Ultimately, singers are the ones who will make my compositions reach the masses. Once I make the singer comfortable and they believe that the song is theirs, they can deliver their best.

Tells us the music making process for ‘Katti Batti’

‘Katti Batti’ is directed by Nikhil Advani and we have a very long association with him, and over the years we have developed a mutual trust. The film is very sensitive, what you see right now in the promos is just the tip of the iceberg as there is a big twist in the story. We had to take a particular path to deliver the music. We, as Shankar Ehsaan Loy, always give youngsters a chance, we have done exactly that with the ‘Katti Batti’ album; you will hear a few new voices.

Are you planning to work on any independent project?

As an individual musician, I am working on a lot of independent projects. I am collaborating with John McLaughlin on a project. I also have a spiritual channel on YouTube, where I get more than three million views. Every Friday I release one song, regardless of the genre. The Shankar Mahadevan Academy, my online music school, takes up most of my time; we teach music in 47 countries. At the moment, I want to do a lot of collaborations in the country, as everyone I meet is interested in working on an independent project.

Do you have any big tours lined up?

I am going to America in October with some great musicians like Zakir Hussain, Dave Holland (jazz bassist), Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer) and a few others. We will be doing a ten city tour in fourteen days.