Grace Ladies Random Thoughts Diary

Article:

King of Music – Shankar Mahadevan

Written by: Dr. Rita Madanlal Shetiya
Ambassador of Grace Ladies Organization
Lecturer, Journalist, Trekker, Photographer, Anchor

Location: Pune, Maharashtra – India
Published at: Grace Ladies Random Thoughts Diary

When we say music, the name that comes in front of us is the king of music, Shankar Mahadevanji. If you get a chance to meet such a legendary, renowned, and great artist who rules the hearts of everyone with his music and voice, you should seize this opportunity, not only to meet him but to interview him is like a gift in your hands. I got such an opportunity in 2016, on the occasion of the opening ceremony of my friend’s Music Studio.

As a journalist, I could have an interview, but it is equally true that this opportunity to meet your favorite musician/singer will not come again and again, so I decided to gift him a handmade gift box filled with chocolates. At that time I thought that what can be done innovatively in this. At that time, Shankar sir’s Marathi First movie, “Katyar Kaljat Ghusli” was released. In which he acted as an actor for the first time and his acting touched the hearts of the audience. So I decided that the Picture of ‘KATYAR’ (knife) can be used in making this gift box.

As we always say, “He came, he saw and he conquered” even his “down-to-earth” nature won the hearts of all present. He was talking to everyone openly; I was watching everyone from a distance because I would have time to have a chat or an interview with him. The inauguration ceremony was held. He sang his favorite song. My friend said to sir, Sir, Rita is waiting to interview you. So he immediately said, let’s spend the time, let’s see the studio while we are talking and our chat will be like this, so what a singer, musician, artist, an ordinary person to the extraordinary, this smart artist and I started chatting. About the role of Katyar, he said, one day, Subodh Bhave came to meet me, to talk about music and singing in Katyar and he recognized the artist in me and I played this role. His effortless acting won everyone’s hearts. What is special is that Sir spoke well in Marathi.

He spoke about music; he believes music has helped him, as well as many others, to sail through the tough times/days. “When you have music in your life,” he says, “you can never be lonely.” His blockbuster hit, “Breathless,” was a four-minute melody sung seemingly in a single breath. There is a creative side to anything. I feel that one thing that a businessman can learn is: do not follow a path that has already been successful. You will never be a path-breaker then. I would never want to create a Breathless (the album that gave him fame) again because it will always be compared to my first Breathless. That’s over. Every time you want to create something, you should look at new or untapped territory. I’m sure there are untapped territories in music, business, arts, painting, and dancing.

When I gifted him a handmade Gift box. He said, Every time I have to give gifts to journalists, you are the first journalist in my life who wish to give me a gift. He open the gift box, observe and read what was written on it, and said “What a creativity” Kya, bat hai! Zindagi mai pehli bar itna badiya gift muje mila hai. I will keep this box with my trophies’.

A person, who went so high in life, but I saw his feet on the ground. Seeing the gentleness of speech, the smile on the face and the sense of respect for all, his place in the mind and the respect felt for him increased even more.

“People with kind heart create a flow of never-ending love that fills themselves and the world with beauty.”