On my pinboard - Raghu Dixit

Singer-songwriter Raghu Dixit is known for giving Indian folk music a different twist.
Apart from giving performances across the globe, Raghu made his mark in the Kannada film industry by scoring the music for ‘Psycho’ for a song called ‘Ninna Poojege Bande, Mahadeshwara’ which became a huge hit. He also worked on the title track of ‘Just Maath Maathalli’ which had Sudeep and Ramya in the lead roles.

He made his Bollywood debut under the Yash Raj Youth films banner with ‘Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge’.

His band, the ‘Raghu Dixit Project’ is one of the country’s foremost bands in its genre.
He is presently working on a  few Kannada films such as ‘Fly’, ‘Pradesha Samachara’, ‘Happy New Year’ and ‘Garuda’.

Cinema  
Irrfan Khan
“I’ve always enjoyed watching Irrfan Khan’s movies. He has a subtle style of acting, is unpretentious and prefers to let his work do all the talking. There are a few actors who emote the characters given to them so well that you don’t feel like they are acting. It comes naturally to them. Only a true artiste can do such a thing and I think Irrfan belongs to this category. I also find the work of Nawazuddin Siddiqui equally impressive.” 

Author
Ramachandra Guha
“I thoroughly enjoy and admire the works of Ramachandra Guha. Whether cricket or politics, Ramachandra writes straight from the heart and minces no words. This is a rare virtue in any writer. You will fall in love with India once again after reading ‘India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy’ by Ramachandra Guha; so powerful is the style of narration and the way he has captured some of the events after independence. As a child, I also liked the concept of ‘Dinakkondu Kathe’. Autobiographies have also held my
interest.”

Travel
Coorg
“My travel companion is always my wife Mayuri. The two of us make sure to find time to travel together and explore places. Of all the places, I think Coorg would top the list. In Coorg, I wake up to the chirping of birds and I love the calm, serene atmosphere, The weather is also beautiful. If one wants to cut off from technology, then Coorg is the best place. We’ve also been to Bhutan, Bali and Istanbul. Every trip is a thoroughly refreshing experience.”   

Cuisine
‘Ragi mudde and Sambhar’
“I am most content with a plate of ‘ragi mudde’ in semi-solid form with sambhar or curd rice. This is my staple diet. I don’t really enjoy or relate to exotic dishes. When I am travelling abroad, I just adjust with pizza and burger but if I get South Indian food anywhere, then I settle for that. Most people know my food preferences and I was overwhelmed when some of my fans brought me ‘Bisibele bath’ and ‘curd rice’ during one of our concerts.”   

Inspiration
Malini N Kaniyar
My mother Malini N Kaniyar is my inspiration. She has stood by me like a rock. I had just about formed my band and we were about to give our first public performance when my father suddenly passed away. I was thoroughly shaken and in no state to perform. My mother overheard me telling someone that I will not be able to perform. She immediately walked up to me and asked me to keep my word. She told me that if I had committed to something, I must go ahead and fulfill it. Her words gave me a lot of strength. I also draw inspiration from everything around me; like the music, language and culture of our country.”  

Musician
Sting
“Sting is by far my favourite and he has stood the test of time despite the changing music scenario. He is intelligent, smart and his lyrics are very intense. He doesn’t indulge in any frivolous work. There’s a certain class to his music. I am sure his work will soon become a part of textbooks in Universities. I also find the work of singer-songwriter Dave Matthews very inspiring. It is easy to spot an original piece of work and Dave and Sting belong to that rare breed of original musicians.”

(As told to Nina C George)