You have heard his work on some of the biggest soundtracks of Bollywood. However, Shekhar Ravjiani is not only one of the best in creating the sounds of Hindi music today with his work with Vishal Dadlani, he also is an outstanding singer. His voice has been heard on some of our favorite tracks. What is so special is that in each song he sings he puts emotion and feeling in every note. Think of the magic of his voice and the acoustic guitar in the ‘Bin Tere – Reprise’ from I Hate Luv Storys.
Not only does he sing for Hindi OSTs, he has forged a new and unique path and has released some brilliant singles that he has both composed and sung including Saazni, Saavli and Butterfly. Once again, with each single you feel the notes and lyrics and his love of music.
His most recent release outside of the Hindi film music world is his recording of the Hanuman Chalisa. Applauded by fans, by stars and well… everyone, his rendition was inspired by a very important person, but more on that in a minute.
Shekhar took time out of his very busy schedule to give us a very heartfelt interview about what making music and singing means to him. Read on!
Tell us the inspiration about recording the Hanuman Chalisa.
The inspiration came from a memory of my late Grandmother, who had taught me the Hanuman Chalisa and always wanted me to compose and sing my version of it.
What does it mean to you?
The prayer is an integral part of my upbringing and reflects the traditions and values that make me who I am today.
How did you prepare to sing this song?
When it comes to my singles there has never been any preparation. Straight from the heart is the only way I know 🙂
Was it difficult?
When the music flows, it’s unstoppable and the whole process was very instinctive. However, I did have to make sure that the pronunciation of the words in the prayer were perfect and that took some concentrated effort.
What was the experience like recording the song and the video?
Just like the song, with the video too we just went with the flow and let the magic happen.
There’s a certain joy in just letting your instincts take over and when you do, the results are always spectacular.
The video and the audio have done so well with praises from all over the world, how does that feel?
Humbled and very grateful for all the overwhelming love and support and so happy that the song has touched so many hearts.
You also have an amazing app that goes with it. Tell us about the idea and about the app.
I wanted people to be able to access the song and the prayer on the go and the app felt like a great way to do that.
It also offers the user the option of reading the prayer in English or Hindi as well as the meaning of the words.
There is also a book, tell us about this.
The book is a special edition version of the Hanuman Chalisa by Nightingale’s Vedic Cosmos. I wanted people to also get access to the prayer offline and the book plays that role.
What has meant the most?
The fact that my rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa has been appreciated the most by the youth. That’s something that makes me very happy.
Your best compliment on this amazing piece of work?
When Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, who launched the song for me, expressed how much the song touched him. It meant the world to me coming from someone whom I look up to and respect so much.
I have also been seeing amazing inspirational sayings on your FB and website…what do you hope they will do?
I like penning my thoughts and philosophy in life and it’s just a way for me to connect with my listeners and share with them my current state of mind.
Your favorite quote?
Let your faith be greater than your fear.
You have had Saazni, Saavli and Butterfly, and now the Hanuman Chalisa, all are so loved, how does that feel?
This is just the beginning of a very special journey and already it’s been made so beautiful by the love that each of my singles have received. Very thankful for the love that pushes me even further.
You also sang the reprise version of ‘Meherbaan’ on the Bang Bang OST. Tell us about the song.
‘Meherbaan’ reprise is very close to my heart and I was delighted when Siddharth Anand, the director, insisted that we include this version. The song and my voice has been well received and am grateful for all the love 🙂
What do you love about creating music?
It’s when I create that I feel closest to God.
What are your thoughts on the music of Hindi films today?
When it comes to film music, we’re seeing a lot more experimentation with genres as well as a lot of new talent being discovered.
Chintakayala Ravi was the last film you did in the South. Do you have plans to do other languages? Maybe like Vishal sang in Tamil for Anirudh Ravichander.
I’m always up for trying out new stuff. I’ve sung ‘Haravali Paakhre’ for the Marathi movie Balak Palak and would be happy to sing in other languages as well if the opportunity presents itself.
A message to the fans that love your music be it solo or in Hindi films?
My listeners are the wind beneath my wings. Their love and support is what makes these musical journeys so much more enjoyable.
What’s next for you?
More moments of inspiration. More music. More magic.
We can’t wait to hear more music magic! We will surely be turning it up to 11!
