Shankar Mahadevan Reveals How He Found His Love For Singing As A Child

Shankar Mahadevan, one of India’s most celebrated singers and composers, has been a household name for decades. Known for his versatility, powerhouse vocals, and evergreen hits, he continues to be an inspiration for aspiring musicians and a beloved figure for fans across generations. But how and when did he start his musical journey? The singer shares it all during Sadhya at his home during Ganeshotsav.

Shankar Mahadevan Opens About How His Musical Journey Started

“My journey started with classical music when I was three and a half years old. See, in South Indian families, there is a lot of interest and intrigue around learning music, listening to music. I remember, mere ghar main continuous music bajta rehta tha–whether it was bhajans, classical music, and even film songs,” Shankar Mahadevan fondly shared.

Music has been a part of his life since childhood — not just singing, but also playing instruments shaped his growing years. He added, “I started playing instruments at a very young age. I was only three and a half when I started playing harmonium. At 11, I played veena Lata (Mangeshkar) ji and Bhimsen Joshi ji, when they came together for the first time for Ram Shyam Gun Gaan. It is a legendary album and mera recorded debut uss main hua tha, when I was 11.”

Also Read: Shankar Mahadevan Fell In Love With His Wife When He Was In 10th Standard!

How The Iconic ‘Breathless’ Song Was Made

Now, you can’t talk about Shankar Mahadevan and not mention his iconic ‘Breathless’ song. While enjoying the mouth-watering meal, Kamiya asked Shankar sir about the song and how it was made. “I was collaborating with Javed Akhtar saab for the first time. Normally, it would have been ki ek fast song kar do, ek club song kar do, ek sad song kar do, ek romantic song kar do, and ho gayi album. We were finding that pretty boring. Toh yeah idea jab Javed saab ne mujhe narrate kiya toh I was like, isse shuru karte hai! Indian classical music ko kaise improvise kar dena in a without boundary kind of a song–seamless,” he shares how the song was made.

Also Read: Who’s Most Likely To Eat The Most Number Of Modaks In Shankar Mahadevan’s House?

Catch the entire video on the Curly Tales’ YouTube channel and know everything that went down during this fun Sunday Brunch session.

Cover Image Courtesy: Internal