On My Pinboard: Hemanth Subramanya

Known for his hit number ‘Preetse Preetse’, Hemanth Subramanya, started his music career as an assistant to composer Hamsalekha. He has around a thousand songs under his belt.

He has sung several hit songs of actors Shiva Rajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar, Upendra, Sudeep, Yash and many others. Hemanth also has many projects lined up for the coming year.

Actor

Rajkumar

“Rajkumar is undoubtedly one of my favourite actors. His ‘Babruvahana’ is my favourite film. His personality amazes me the most. ‘Yaare Koogadali’, ‘Aaradhisuve Madanaari’, Beladingalagi Baa’ are some of the songs I admire. In Bollywood, I like Salman Khan. His fitness and his on-screen energy inspire me.”

Music

Hamsalekha

“Hamsalekha, who is also my mentor, is the music composer I admire the most. It is hard for me to pick a favourite of his compositions. I also listen to a lot of Ghazals; Ustad Ghulam Ali is my favourite. I also prefer listening to classical songs with a western touch to it. I also learnt Carnatic music from R K Srikantan. So, whenever I have free time, I make sure that I practise tamboori. ”

Travel

Mysuru

“Travelling does not excite me that much as I am busy all the time. Whenever I have free time, I like to visit Mysuru. I feel it is that one place which has still retained the essence of Karnataka. I sneak away for a weekend and enjoy my getaway.”

Inspiration

S P Balasubramanyam

“My parents are my inspiration. Be it their upbringing, their humble nature... everything makes me look up to them. Coming to music, I am a die-hard fan of SP Balasubramanyam; the living legend is an inspiration to many. Though he is a top artiste, he respects all the new and young talents. Having grown up listening to his songs, he has had a deep impact on my singing career.”

Food

Bisi bele bath

“Being a vegetarian, it gets a little difficult when I travel to other countries. I prefer South Indian cuisine; bisi bele bath and masala dosa are my favourite. I make it a point to munch on masala dosa before recording any song. I also love sweets; carrot halwa is something I can eat anytime, any day.”