Through the eyes of a celebrity son

In the entertainment industry, being a part of the family tree of someone who has already made a mark is considered to be of advantage in one’s career. But Akshay Hariharan, son of singer and Padma Shri awardee Hariharan is of the view that one is under constant pressure of living up to the family’s name in such a case.

Junior Hariharan made his debut as a music director with a Marathi film Kokanastha in 2013. Now he is looking forward to perform with his father at the upcoming Bacardi Enchanted Valley Carnival 2015, which is going to be held from December 18 to December 20 at the Amby Valley City in Pune.

Ahead of their performance, Akshay Hariharan spoke to Metrolife about his musical career, his inspirations and the struggles that he have faced in the industry so far.

Unlike his father who is till date known as a singer, Akshay was inclined towards composing electronic music. “I used to follow dad’s shows. But I was completely into electronic music, even as a kid. So in grades eighth or ninth, when my fellow classmates didn’t even know what Metallica and The Prodigy were, I used to be the one thorough with these bands’ music,” Akshay says in a telephonic conversation.

However, pursuing a career in music wasn’t what Akshay had always aspired for. “After completing my school in Mumbai and Bangalore, I was looking forward to do an external program from the London School of Economics. But the passion that I had for music always made me believe that this was really where I always wanted to be,” he adds.

Speaking of his music, Akshay is also known as ‘DJ I-Zen’. He creates a unique blend between Indian classical music and electronic music, managing to find perfect combinations with instruments such as the sarangi, tabla, flute and guitar with new age electronic music.

He has an arsenal of tracks inspired by different genres of electronic music such as Deep House, PsyTrance and Trance. “It involves a lot of struggle to intermingle the two genres along with keeping intact the Indian classical roots. Anyone who tries to learn the technology of Djing will find it difficult initially to be familiar with the machines. With my music, I try to create a balanced fusion, wherein I don’t complicate it by putting in too much.”

About the current music scene in India, which is mostly overpowered by Bollywood, Akshay says, “The songs are improving. The music sells and it’s catchy. Melodiously, it’s okay. Today, the songs are more about attracting people within the first 40 seconds of the song.”

“We focus more on different genres,” he continues, “We should instead focus on mastering one genre rather than having all the genres.”

When asked if being the son of a celebrity father has worked for him or not, Akshay replies on a humble note. “This is like a double-edged sword. It has comes with its pros and cons. Like everyone else, I do have some benefits and better opportunities, but I have to deliver good music. My father has always maintained his reputation and has never been a part of any controversies. And thus, it gets all the more difficult to live up to his name.”