The thing about speaking with an artist like Shankar Mahadevan is that you find yourself in the presence of someone who hasn’t just shaped the landscape of an art form, but also how millions remember it. Even as the industry around him keeps shifting, he continues to steer where it heads next — and it's a fascinating place to be.
Mahadevan is inarguably one of the greatest Indian singers and music composers the country has seen, with a footprint on industry so prominent, that he has managed to construct an entire generation's idea of what feel-good, nostalgic beats should sound like.
This August will bring something similar, as it will mark 25 years since Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy's scored the soundtrack for Dil Chahta Hai, the 2001 coming-of-age film that became as popular for its music as it did for its story. In an industry where new genres of music are constantly discovered, old ones are revived, and existing ones are revamped, Mahadevan knows what stays.
So, what does the singer, who has experienced the many transitions of the industry through Bollywood and beyond, think of the art today?
In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, he talks about the shifting perception of Hindi music from filmy to cool, his views on bhajan clubbing as a catalyst for culture, and switching gears from film scores to indie music.
Dil Chahta Hai completes 25 years this August. Its soundtrack remains one of the most loved in Hindi cinema and still resonates with listeners today.
Dil Chahta Hai was a very big and important film for us and for the Indian film industry. Hindi films suddenly became cool. Before, they used to be considered “filmy.”
For example, there was a night club in South Bombay that only used to play English music. They used to refuse playing Hindi songs! Dil Chahta Hai was the first soundtrack they played because they thought it was cool.
Does revisiting the soundtrack take you back to a different era of music in Indian films? It is something you miss?
I don’t miss anything because the only constant is change. Things change. Tastes and preferences change too. Various colours come in, they go, some of them stick around, some of them vanish and some turn into a one-night spike. But projects like Dil Chahta Hai stay forever.
When you talk about friendship, reminiscing your close friends and moments you spend with great music and energy, one of the first films you think of is Dil Chahta Hai.
It was World Music Day recently. What does the occasion mean to you personally?
World Music Day is when everyone comes together, displays solidarity, friendship, love, positive energy and happiness. Music is such a healer; it is about love, about happiness, peace. So, on this day when we all come together and celebrate the life of music, it's the best experience.
With the rise of AI-generated music and remixes, what's your take on the current state of Indian music?
Remixes have always existed. I did my first remix at least 25 years ago for a project called Instant Karma. They have always been there, not only in Bollywood or the Indian film industry, but all over the world.
How well you do it and how ethical it is... those are the questions we don’t ask. Remixing is not just putting a loop for the sake of doing it; do it aesthetically, do it well, do it for a purpose.
AI is something that is going to stay. That’s the next big technological change, so we better accept it and enjoy it. As with anything else, it is something you can work responsibly or irresponsibly with. You can use it to help with creativity, to enhance your core competence, or you can use it unethically.
You are opening the celebrations for the bhakti concert Anandam, which is touted to be an immersive devotional live experience; what can you tell us about it?
Anandam is a concert we are very excited about. Whenever an Indian film concert or a Hollywood musical happens, it’s always on a large scale. But when a spiritual concert takes place, it’s always on a small stage; it’s very selective.
It's happening this week on June 27 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. This is going to be the biggest production people have ever seen, and it is all going to be in the spiritual zone with various dynamics. There will be spiritual, religious and devotional songs and those from Indian films too; songs that are classics like 'Vaishnav Jan Toh,' 'Sri Ramchandra Krupalu' and all the Ganpati songs I have sung.
I know people who start their day every day by listening to my 'Ganpati Mantra,' my 'Hanuman Chalisa' or my 'Shiv Tandav Stotram.' It is so big. Every single individual in this country connects with it.
I think this is the biggest production of my life, even bigger than any of the Bollywood songs that I have ever sung. We have some amazing artists like Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Ushaji and Hemani Kapoor who have consented to this. Both my sons, Siddharth and Shivam, are there too. Huge bands, hundreds of dancers, LEDs, pyros, aerial acts; it’s going to be an experience.
Bhajan clubbing seems to be having a moment right now. What are your thoughts on this fusion?
Don’t you think it’s an amazing way through which we can spread the depth of our culture and heritage?
Whether it is bhajan clubbing, satsang, classical music or devotional music, it's a way in which our rich heritage — which has such depth, great writing and amazing saints who have contributed so much to our country — connect one particular generation to the next. They are the ones to take it forward, and are all rich channels through which we can spread our culture to the next generation.
Can we expect to hear any of your music compositions in a film this year?
There are quite a few different films on the list. Now is also the time for independent music, so let’s not depend only on films.
We are also launching an unique artist-led platform called Goongoonalo; it is the first independent music platform where those invested in the platform are artists themselves. This includes the likes of Arijit Singh, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Javed Akhtar, etc. I am part of the founding team of the platform, and we are focusing on taking independent music to the next level.