On my pinboard - Ankit Tiwari

Bollywood singer

A renowned playback singer and music director, Ankit Tiwari started his singing career by composing jingles and background scores for television programmes. He subsequently moved to singing in movies like ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ and ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster’.

 In 2013, he released his third song ‘Sunn Raha Hai’ in ‘Aashiqui 2’ which was nominated for two Filmfare awards and for which he won the ‘Best Music Director Award’. Subsequently, he composed songs for box office hits like ‘Ek Villain’, ‘Alone’, ‘PK’, ‘Roy’, ‘Rustom’, ‘Airlift’ and ‘Baaghi’ among others. His latest project, ‘Tum Bin II’, is slated to hit theatres on
November 18.

Indian artiste
A R Rahman

‘It would have to be A R Rahman, of course. There is no debating that he remains the king of melodies. I am a big fan of him and love all his works. In fact, my playlist comprises a lot of his old and new songs with the most played one being ‘Chupke se lag ja gale’ from the movie ‘Saathiya’. He is one of my biggest musical inspirations.’

Movie
‘Devdas’

‘I like a lot of Bollywood movies. If I had to pick out some favourites, I think I would choose ‘Taal’ and ‘Devdas’. Both of these have brilliant music. The theme, story and picturisation of ‘Taal’ was exemplary.

‘Devdas’ had Shah Rukh Khan of course, and his chemistry with Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit was beyond words.’

Food
‘Dal chawal’

‘I am a vegetarian and prefer simple homely food. You can give me ‘dal, chawal and roti’ three times a day and I will happily eat it. I have grown up eating this food since my childhood and it has remained my comfort food till date. Being a Brahmin from UP, sweets are one of my biggest weaknesses. ‘Gulab jamun’ is one of my favourite sweets.’

Instrument
Flute

‘Though each instrument brings in something unique to the music, the flute holds a special place in my heart. I find its sound to be very mellow and light yet rich and striking. Among the legendary practitioners of this instrument, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and his music remains closest to my heart.’

International music
Coldplay

‘I love the songs of ‘Coldplay’. There is an inexplicable magic in their songs; their style only gets enhanced with each song they create. I particularly admire the intricate piano riffs in their compositions. And like the majority of the music-loving population, I adore the songs of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. I guess he is a trend that can never go out of style.’

Travel
Udaipur

‘Udaipur is a place that has charmed me to no extent. I have been there quite a few times and each time I feel fascinated by the vintage charm and serenity of the place. I love going to Punjab too, though I have not visited that area so often. Across the border, America remains my favourite destination. I have particularly fond memories of that place as my first world tour happened there. Every incident, whether good or bad, remains etched in my mind and I would definitely like to go there again. On my wishlist, there’s Paris and I also want to experience the winters in UK.’

(As told to Rajitha Menon)