'Music is everything to me'

He’s a vocalist, composer and a playback singer. With his recent song ‘Beparwah’ from ‘Munna Michael’ topping the charts, Siddharth Basrur is a busy man now.

If you’re still trying to figure out which songs he has sung, the following list might help you out. He has lent his voice to ‘Tera Nasha’ from ‘Players’, ‘Naach Meri Jaan’ from ‘ABCD 2’, ‘Parvah Nahin’ from ‘M S Dhoni: The Untold Story’ and even the song ‘Marghat’ for Coke Studio Season 3. He chats with Anila Kurian about his journey so far and what we can look forward to.

Your latest song ‘Beparwah’ seems to be doing well...
Yes, it’s quite exciting. I had a blast working with the composers, Gourov and Roshin. I am thankful that the director chose me to sing the song. We went through a couple of rounds before we decided on how the song should sound.

What are you busy working on these days?
Gourov and Roshin and I have started a band recently and we’re making a video of sorts with a bunch of clips from our songs. I’m also singing a song for the upcoming film ‘Gentlemen’ with Sachin and Jigar. I’m also part of a Malayalam project called ‘Solo’.

You also sang a Kannada song called ‘Hulli Hulli’. Was it difficult to learn the language?
I’m from Karnataka but I don’t speak Kannada. However, I grew up with my grandparents who converse in the language. So it didn’t seem like a strange language to me.

You’ve also sung in various other languages...
Yes, I’ve sung in about 11 languages so far. I do a lot of campaign-related work for brands, so that allows me to try something exciting like this.

Any new ones you want to try?
Well, the sky is the limit! I’ve even sung in Spanish, Bengali, Assamese and most South Indian languages. I’m yet to sing in Konkani, my mother tongue.

You’re always working. When do you take some time off?
Music is everything to me right now. If not commercial projects, then I’m working on individual projects. I recently released an EP. I’m also part of another band called ‘Last Remaining Light’.

We heard you’re coming to Bengaluru with the band...
Yes, I will be performing at The Humming Tree next month. I can’t wait!

So really, when was the last time you took off?
I got married in December and I took two days off to go to Goa with my wife. That’s probably the last time. But, my wife has convinced me to take a month off in September to go to Europe.

What’s the last song on your playlist?
Chris Cornell’s ‘Dead Wishes’.