On my pinboard: Chaitra H G

Huduga Huduga song fame Chaitra HG is a well-known name in the Sandalwood music industry.

She has worked with many leading music directors from the Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam music industries with over 900 songs under her belt.

She has won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer, Udaya Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer and Udaya TV Kutumba Award for Best Singer.

She is trained in Hindustani music and is also skilled at gymnastics and fencing.

Music
Parveen Sultana
“I mostly prefer listening to Hindustani music. Parveen Sultana and Rashid Khan are my all time favourites. Parveen Sultana’s ‘Raaga Malkauns’ is my go-to song. I like all the ragas although raag Yaman is something I associate more deeply with.”

Films
The Pursuit of Happyness
“The film ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ is my all-time favourite as it is an optimistic take on life. I also like the Harry Potter series. The Shawshank Redemption is another film I admire.”

Travel
Mysuru
“In India, I like Mysuru. The authenticity of Karnataka’s culture is seen only in this place. The people, their food culture... everything attracts me.Otherwise as an adventure lover, Bangkok counts as my favourite tourist place. Be it paragliding, underwater walking, skydiving... I never a miss a single adventure sport when I visit the place. Australia is my second
favourite. The atmosphere is so refreshing yet breath-taking.”

Inspiration
Hariharan
“A lot of people have inspired me throughout my life. When it comes to singing, Hariharan is the one I look up to. Be it Carnatic music, Hindustani or Bollywood, he wears many hats with perfection. If you ask me about life in general, I am inspired by women achievers. The way they have lived their lives is like an open guide to me.”

Food
Mysore Pak
“I am not much of a foodie, I prefer eating homemade food. The Mysore Pak that amma makes is my favourite; the texture is just perfect. I enjoy cooking North Indian dishes like aloo paratha and paneer tikka. I also like the white sauce pasta I make.”

Author
S L Bhyrappa
“I am an avid reader and fiction is my favourite genre. I am a fan of author S L Bhyrappa; I have read his ‘Aavarana’ more than five times. Bhyrappa’s writing style is what
impresses me. There is a lot of research done for his books and I am fascinated every time I read them.”