New voices, composers and musicians are a dime a dozen in the film music industry. Occasionally a singer hits the right notes that helps him/her make waves. But till that happens it is a struggle to make yourself heard in the crowd. And an illustrious musical bloodline need not help you make it as a playback singer. Ask K.S. Harishankar. He knows what it is like to knock at many doors before one opened to give him a foothold in the music industry. The recent success of his title song ‘Nilavum Mayunnnu’ in Sathyan Anthikad’s Ennum Eppozhum , scored by Vidyasagar, is certainly music to his ears.
Grandson of Carnatic vocalist and composer Omanakutty, 21-year-old Harishankar has music in his genes. His mother Kamala Lekshmi is an accomplished veena player while his father, Alleppey Srikumar, is a Carnatic vocalist and teacher. The late composer-singer M.G. Radhakrishnan and playback singer and composer M.G. Sreekumar happen to be his mother’s uncles.
“Thanks to our connections with the music industry, many leading musicians were kind enough to listen to me. But it did not materialise into a song for a film. I had almost given up hope of getting a good break when Rajakrishnan chettan [the late M.G. Radhakrishnan’s son] who is working in Chennai as a sound designer played a song of mine for Ousephachan sir. He liked my voice and gave me a song in Karanavar in 2014,” says Harishankar.
One song led to the next one and his second song was for Shaan Rahman in the movie Ormayundo Ee Mukham . He also sang under the baton of Gopi Sundar for the yet-to-be-released Lailaa O Lailaa . That was when he got a call from Vidyasagar. The young musician says it was playback singer Sujatha who suggested his name to Vidyasagar, who was on the lookout for a new singer who was adept at singing classical music as well. “Both Sathyan sir and Vidya sir were happy with my efforts and Vidya sir gave me another composition of his to render in the Prithviraj-starrer Anarkali. ”
Looks like Harishankar has finally arrived. His 10-member band, comprising his younger brother Ravishankar, a violinist, is all set to perform for a recording for Music Mojo and the musicians are frantically thinking of a right name. “We are trying to chose between Haram and Southern Tales,” he admits.
A third year student of dentistry in PMS College of Dental Science and Research, Harishankar admits that juggling studies and music is tough but he is determined to overcome teething problems and do justice to both. “One has to learn to prioritise and give up what is not essential to gain what you think is important. Music is that constant for me. For instance, for the last two years, I have been avoiding all cold things, including ice-creams. No sacrifice is too much in the pursuit of music.”
A trained classical singer, Harishankar has won prizes in both classical and light music at the schools and college youth festivals. Although he has made his appearance as a Carnatic vocalist at the Music Academy in Chennai and many venues in Kerala, he says his dream is to make it big as a playback singer. “I will continue learning classical music. I am aware of how much that has helped me but my ambition is to become a good playback singer,” he says.
Aware that it is not an easy path that he has chosen, he is grateful that his friends and family are on the same page. “Sometimes, one does get discouraged when one has to face the music on account of the stiff competition in the music industry but my friends like Sanu Achu, for instance, and my parents and grandmother keep me motivated.”
A fan of A.R. Rahman, Harishankar is reluctant to choose his favourites from the senior batch of playback singers but in the current lot, some of his favourites are Haricharan, Karthick and Benny Dayal. “I am open to songs in any language. Plans are on for an album and a couple of songs I have composed but my heart is in my singing.”
