The melody of tomorrow

The name Siddharth Mahadevan is slowly but steadily gaining popularity in Bollywood, and not without reason. Known for songs like ‘Malang’ from ‘Dhoom 3’ and ‘Zinda’ from ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, the singer and music composer is making his voice heard.

Siddharth will be in Coorg for the Storm Festival, where he will perform on the eve of the new year. In a chat with ‘Metrolife’, he talks about music as part of his life and more.

Has your voice ever given up on you before a performance or recording?
Yes, a couple of times. There have been times when I’ve lost my voice just before going on stage. But the energy of the audience and stage help me overcome it. I think any performer who loves the stage will agree with me.

It wouldn’t be the best performance but I can get through it without letting the audience know that there’s something wrong. And when it comes to recordings, it happened recently. Pritam called me to record ‘Tukur Tukur’ for ‘Dilwale’ but I couldn’t talk at all. I had to text him, asking for a postponement. He was nice enough to wait for a few days.

What’s going through your head before a performance?
Nothing in particular. I just say a prayer before going on stage, to make sure everything goes right. You just need to focus and build up that energy, and you’ll be okay. If you are having a good time, so does the audience.

The language you are most comfortable singing in.

Other than Hindi and English, Telugu and Kannada are the easiest. I’ve sung in
all the South Indian languages and I find Malayalam the hardest. The way you
roll your tongue for an alphabet or sound is important and if you get it wrong, it doesn’t sound right.

A person you would love to sing for.
I’ve sung for Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, so now I want to sing for Salman (Khan).
When you aren’t working...

I’m a big foodie. And I love sports — cricket, tennis, football...you name it. I used to be the opening batsman for my school cricket team. Even now, me and my friends make sure we play cricket at least two to three times a week.

Sometimes we play from 12 am to 3 am. Sachin Tendulkar is my favourite cricketer and when he played his last Test match, I cried. When it comes to football, Real Madrid is my team. And Roger Federer is my favourite tennis player.

Top three songs on your playlist at the moment...
Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry’ and ‘What do you mean’, and Adele’s ‘Hello’.

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?
I am performing at the Storm Festival — ‘Chasing Storm NYE’ — in Coorg on New Year’s eve. It’ll be my first New Year performance so it’s special. And it’s my first time in Coorg, which is exciting. A few of my friends are flying down with me and we plan to spend a few days there and later, in Bengaluru. I don’t mind working on New Year’s eve at all.

Any New Year resolutions?
I have a couple of them — projects and thoughts I’ve been brewing over for a while. Making New Year resolutions is not difficult, everyone has them. Sticking to them is what matters... Let’s hope I do!