For Sanjith Hegde, passion for music is unending

Shakuntle Sikkalu’ from ‘Naduve Antaravirali’ (2018) is a melody that reaches straight to your heart. Sanjith Hegde did magic with the soothing number, just like he mesmerised people with ‘Marali Manasagide’ from ‘Gentleman.’ (2020)

Sanjith came as a breath of fresh air in the Kannada film industry. Sanjith’s style, and unique voice is a right mix for composers aiming to reinvent the romantic numbers in commercial films. He strives to remain versatile with tracks like ‘Nigooda nigooda’ from ‘Kavaludaari’ (2018) in Charan Raj’s composition.

The youngster, who dazzled at the reality show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ (Kannada), is trained in Hindustani music.

Having also sung for Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films, Sanjith’s career is on the rise and the playback singer spoke to Showtime about his journey so far. Excerpts:

So, where did it all begin? When were you drawn to music?

I started learning Hindustani Classical music at the age of 5. Bhimsen Joshi’s singing inspired me. I wasn’t too excited about film songs till my 10th grade. But after that, I realised people loved it when I sang Hindi film numbers. So, I started singing Ghazals and took part in a lot of events. That said, I exposed myself to a variety of music, like the works of Praveen Ghodkindi, Praveen D Rao and Pakistani folk songs. I also ardently followed Coke Studio.

How did ‘Sa Ra Ga Ma Pa’ fuel your dreams? How should budding singers handle attention and success from reality shows?

Reality shows help you connect with great talents. But it is crucial for the participants to not just be infatuated by the idea of music and what it will give them in society. A reality show gives instant recognition. So, one needs to be very mindful of how to deal with what comes after being successful there. It could tend to put you off balance from really learning the craft of music.

Your hit songs have come with many popular music directors. How was it working with the likes of Arjun Janya, Charan Raj, Ajaneesh Loknath, Ravi Basrur and others?

Arjun sir was very welcoming in teaching me how a song is built from scratch. He taught the extreme building blocks of how musicians work in films. Charan Raj is a pioneer in making unique music. One common factor among all these music directors is their belief in music. Their styles might be different, but they acknowledge the divinity in music and have a strong belief in the art form.

Your reel of the song Satyabhame is a huge hit on Instagram. How important is it for musicians to keep up with the demands of fans on social media?

I did the reel for fun. When you do something for the love of the art, it automatically spreads joy. It is not necessary for an artist to be very bothered by what happens on social media. I just focus on my singing. I use social media as a space to think out loud. Many people I look up to also use it for the same reason. Music, as an art, has a bigger impact on people’s lives. Social media is a place to have fun.

How much can an emerging singer remain individualistic? Or is he or she expected to surrender completely to the instructions of the music director?

The success of a playback singer is mostly because of the music director because he is the one who crafts the song. A singer only lends the voice; his expression in the song is only through voice and nothing else. The lyricist tells you what to sing, the director visualises the song and the music director ornaments the music around the voice. The challenge is, one has just an hour or two in the studio to learn a new song and sing it by adding life to it.

So, formal training here plays a key role. It sharpens your instinct as a playback singer. The process is very beautiful, and it is all about surrendering to the song and environment. It cannot be done consciously. Each music director has a different approach. Some know exactly what they want, while some have a vague idea. Some are willing to incorporate your ideas as well.

Just like actors, even singers sometimes get boxed in one genre. How important is it to experiment as an artiste?

Experimenting or non-experimenting is an individual’s choice. The passion to do the art, to do the craft supersedes everything else. Learning comes because of passion. The will to experiment or not to experiment is also because of passion. It also has to do with what one wants to do and what one is made to do. If they are separate things, there will be a constant conflict.

You debuted as an actor and composer last year. What are you working on now?

In the last four years, I completely delved into the art of understanding what playback singing is. I am now using it in the process of writing and producing an album, which will be out this year. It is in collaboration with some interesting music producers. The album is also in several languages, and I am excited about it.