'Music is the drug of my life'

He’s the lyricist and singer of India’s official theme song for Rio Olympics 2016, ‘Born a Champion’. In a candid conversation with Jayashree Narayanan, the 32-year-old actor-turned-rapper Ahran Chaudhary, popularly known as Fakira, talks about the song, the need to motivate our sports players and his multiple career moves.

You started out as an actor. How did singing happen?

I’ve always been a ramp model. And after winning Gladrags Mr India, I got movie offers and ended up doing some good roles in movies like ‘Singh is Bliing’. But music is the drug of my life. So, I am just trying to convey my emotions and feelings onto a beat which is called rap.  

When did you pen the song?
I wrote these feelings long ago and I used to hear this track for years for self-motivation. Recently, my friends asked me to take this track out. And Olympics is the biggest sports feat of this planet. It provides you an ultimate platform to show your sports credibility and glorify your nation’s name, and it’s my honour to be
musically a part of the Games.

Tell us more about the song.
The racy rap track composed by Aditya Dev with cinematography by Vishal Seth
is intended to motivate the Indian athletes and convey the support of the people of the country. The track captures the undying spirit of a sports player, the fight an athlete goes through in his life while proving his talent to others, but more importantly to himself.

Do you want to be known as a singer now?
I don’t like being categorised in any particular role. I just want to be known as a guy who lived his life freely and did whatever he felt, like a 100 per cent free soul. And for the moment, I am enjoying doing good movie projects, creating good beats for my ‘stories’ and walking the ramp.

What’s next?
I have got two movie projects to be released in 2016. Meanwhile, I’ll try to make a good beat for my next rap
single.

What do you have to say on Shobhaa De’s tweet that mocked the performance of Indian athletes at Rio?
I don’t know who she is. Is she an athlete or something?

Your message for the athletes?
We still love you guys. You are our heroes.