I love Navi Mumbai, and I am proud to be a part of this city. The city has always inspired me to aim higher.
Music is the highest form of communication.
I do watch singing reality shows.
While the concert is instant communication with the audience, composing is a creative process where a song comes up out of nowhere and then transmits happiness to many, translates into money, fame, or whatever.
To sustain and become a musician of a certain calibre, you need to know and understand music completely. You need to have a good taste in music and should know your good music from mediocre ones.
I quit my software engineer job, decided that I would be a singer, and got married. Those days, there were no platforms like the 'Indian Idol.' It was like, you decide to become a singer, and then what do you do? It must have been tough for my wife getting married to a man without a job.
Travel is always connected to music, as with travel, we explore the world, and by listening music, we explore ourselves.
I think times have changed, and there's no dearth of talent in the music industry.
It's hectic at times, but this is what any artiste wants: a hectic life with lot of travelling, performances, lots of love from fans, the opportunity to compose songs back-to-back, and a chance to share the stage with maestros like Zakir Hussain.
'My Country, My Music' is about bringing music in languages like Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, Malyalam, and Marathi together. It's about bringing musical genres together, different scenarios in which music is displayed in our country in one show.
I have tried to show the influence of folk music in Bollywood, in Tamil movies, in Telugu cinema.
When you have music in your life, you can never be lonely.
I would like to do some non-film stuff.
Why English music is being taught in some schools? The government should make arrangements to promote Indian classical music among students.
When you do a pop album, the canvas is completely yours. There is no story situation forced on to your songs - you have the freedom to develop it right from the concept.
Being from a middle-class Indian family, I learned Carnatic music.
I have completed 21 years of composing music in Indian films.
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.
Learning music must be made easy and fun.
I am proud of my kids.
