The young team of six is super cool about its frown-prone passion. Jaws might drop when they are at it, but that doesn’t stop them from doing what they are best at — whistling.

They are the IWA (Indian Whistling Association) who have given a new status to the air they blow. The members are spread across Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Pune and all of them have proved that whistling — which evokes a series of ‘sssh’ in public — is indeed an art capable of winning a lot of ears.

Ask Shajil Ravindran and he will tell you that whistling is not to be confined to the four walls of the bathroom or the naughty corners of college campuses. “It is a god-given gift that can be perfected through practice,” says the J P Morgan employee who is an active player among the six members of IWA’s Bangalore chapter.

Any time is whistling time for this 24-year-old. At home, on the road, in the rain... Shajil’s mouth works overtime and romances the hits of the season in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. Not to say, ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’, ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’ and ‘Ghajini’ numbers enjoyed a royal run.

At home, there was always the risk of running into a sulking mother who was not so amused by this slightly unusual musical prowess. But Shajil continued religiously and met more of his tribe at IWA. He hopes his skills will earn him a ticket to Bollywood (‘Fanaa’ and ‘Dhoom’ songs had whistling artistes, he reminds us).

The journey was not so melodious for the eves of the association. Lakshmi Rajashekhar and Monika Sharma encountered some rolling eyes in the beginning. “Once somebody asked me ‘ghar mein baap, bhai nahin hein kya’ and I shot back ‘unhone hi sikhaya hein’ (They only taught me),” says Monika who has been whistling for 12 years now. But people have begun to appreciate women performers as long as they are good at it, she says.

An Infosys employee, Monika ‘voices’ her passion at the workplace too. “Earlier, people used to turn around and look. Now they know it must be me,” says the techie with a penchant for old Hindi songs like ‘Yeh mera prem patr padke’.

For Lakshmi Rajashekhar, it’s all in the family. “I picked up whistling from my dad,” beams the doctor with Manipal Hospital. A professional, Lakshmi has given two classical concerts, besides a number of shows in the college. Her skill also comes in handy when friends and family come together for some pure fun.

Nibin Aniyan, a young techie and member of IWA, who has been passionate about whistling from his school days, looks forward to the group’s next programme in Bangalore in September or October. The other two members of the Bangalore team are Vasanth Babu and Vinay Krishna.

The group has given a few programmes in the City, but the activities have to go a long way before they could reach the tempo of say, Chennai. There, the association is more established with scores of members, including a nine-year-old girl. “It is our dream to expand the Bangalore group along the lines of Chennai,” says Shajil who has keeps his ears open to spot more talent.

For those you who want to be part of the IWA, Shajil is just a whistle away. Call him on 98862-54990 or email him at shaj_006@yahoo.com. There is no membership fee. “It all depends on how you blow the air,” signs off Shajil.