MASTER OF MELODIES

Having won four National Awards and become one of the most sought-after music composers in the Indian film industry, Shankar Mahadevan remains as productive, energetic and open to experimentation as he was when he first burst onto the scene with his 1998

Shankar Mahadevan, who is now one of the most successful music directors in the Indian film industry and has four National Awards to his name, first became a household name in 1998, with the release of his solo album Breathless, whose eponymous track sounded exactly as advertised — it sounded like it was sung in one, unbroken breath. The remarkable thing was that this song, despite being a sort of gimmicky, performance piece, retained its classically-inspired melodious consistency. The important thing was not that the song was sung in one breath but that it sounded great.

Over the years, great sound and an expert use of melody have become hallmarks of Mahadevan’s music direction, as well as his playback work. “You can’t compare the two,” Mahadevan tells Guardian 20. “Composing music is a process of creation, it’s like you are in a position of a mother, creating a baby. You are on top of the pyramid because you are responsible for that particular song. And when you are performing, you are the last medium of communicating to the audiences. The entire energy, the focus is on you. People are excited and enjoying with you — the whole performance is coming to life because of you. One just can’t compare both, they are equally beautiful. They are both related to music, so I enjoy doing both.”

The roots of this fascination with melody can be traced all the way back to his childhood, when he was four years old and first laid hands on a harmonium. That was when it all started. It was only after his graduation in computer science and software engineering in 1988, that Mahadevan began considering music as a serious career option. Then, a decade later, Breathless happened. And soon enough, Mahadevan began collaborating with Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, becoming a part of the music industry’s most original and multi-talented trio known as Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

“It’s been like 20 years since we have been rocking together,” Mahadevan says of the trio. “This is a most wonderful relationship of making music together and coming up with stuff that has got musical value. We are in a very unique position— our bond is still very strong.” The creative differences among the three musicians lead to a healthy and competitive atmosphere inside the composing room or the recording studio. “Yes, we fight,” Mahadevan says. “We fight like