Zinda, the anthem for Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, releasing this Friday, is powered by a brand new voice — that of Siddharth Mahadevan. “I didn’t think that song would be given to me. Rakeysh uncle encouraged me and said he wanted my voice for it. Initially, I had thought it would be a trial. I was nervous and excited while recording the song,” says Siddharth.
He did not have the luxury of taking things for granted though his father Shankar Mahadevan was the composer. “I had to do justice to the song. I knew dad wouldn’t hesitate to replace me with an experienced singer if I failed to do a good job,” he says.
Siddharth may be making his debut as a playback singer in a Hindi film, but he has already composed for the Marathi film Swapna Tujhe Ni Mazhe along with his cousin Soumil Shringarpure. “I’ve done quite a bit of chorus singing and lending my voice to ad jingles,” he says.
He grew up listening to music and says he took to it instinctively. “My dad says I showed a sense of rhythm as early as when I was two or three years old. My dad is a Tamilian and mom a Maharashtrian. Like most children born in Tamilian families, I too learnt Carnatic music for a few years. Later I also trained in Hindustani music,” says Siddharth. Zinda and the rock version of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag title track are just the beginning. Siddharth has also sung for Nikhil Advani’s D-Day. “Dad and I are also working on independent albums. There is a lot more in the pipeline and I am looking forward to some experimentation,” says Siddharth.
Zinda has made him immensely popular in campuses, including R.D. National College, Bandra, where he is doing his graduation. “My friends are so excited,” he laughs, with enthusiasm that’s hard to miss.
Meanwhile, Siddharth and his 12-year-old younger brother Shivam will also be a part of a collaborative album mooted by Leslie Lewis. The Electronic Dance Music album will feature next generation musician-singers. “Shivam and I will be featuring in one track. The album will have Hariharan’s sons Akshay and Karan, Loy Mendonsa’s children Shane and Alyssa, Kavita and L. Subramaniam’s children Bindu and Ambi apart from Leslie uncle’s daughter Divya. We are all good friends. This is a project we are all looking forward to,” says Siddharth.
