New Delhi, Jan 25: He may have got his first break as a singer, but Kaala Bhairava of “Naatu Naatu” fame says his childhood dream was to become a composer.
Bhairava was launched into the Telugu film industry as a singer with 2011’s “Rajanna”, whose music was composed by his father MM Keeravaani. He has also sung for Tamil and Kannada films.
His debut as a music director came eight years later with “Mathu Vadalara”, starring his younger brother Sri Simha. Since then, he has composed music for Telugu films, including “Karthikeya 2”, “Colour Photo”, “Mukhachitram”, and “Happy Birthday”.
“Composing is a little bit closer to my heart than singing. That was where I was more invested in since I was a kid, but as I grew up, playback singing is where I got my first break. I became an established composer years later. It’s funny how things turned out but I grew up wanting to be a composer,” the 30-year-old told PTI in an interview. His latest project is the third season of the animated series “The Legend of Hanuman”. Bhairava said he has been associated with the Disney+ Hotstar show since its first season as the background score composer. This time, he was approached to sing the ‘Hanuman Chalisa Ansh’. As a “devout follower” of Lord Hanuman since childhood, the National Award winner said he instantly boarded the series.
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“I feel this is one of the best things that happened to me in terms of working on this creatively… This is something I was very excited about,” he added.
Staying true to the lyrics of the ‘Hanuman Chalisa Ansh’ without altering its essence was “one of the challenging aspects” in the composition process, said Bhairava.
“The very thing I did when I had to start composing was that I tried listening to all the existing versions of the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ by artists across the country and it actually helped a lot. “I wanted to make my version of the ‘Hanuman Chalisa Ansh’ stand out and sound different from the already existing ones. I realised that the beauty of the Chalisa was that you can’t restrict the narrative to a particular mood or tempo. This is musically so rich that we can have that liberty to present it differently,” he said.
Bhairava along with Rahul Sipligunj sung the Oscar-winning Telugu track “Naatu Naatu”, but life hasn’t changed at all for the singer post awards and accolades. Keeravaani composed the song from “RRR”, directed by SS Rajamouli.
“The way I approach my composing process or I go about my work has remained the same before and after (awards). Getting recognition on platforms like that obviously gives you that confidence boost, validates your work. But the process and everything else… Nothing has changed.”
Along with name and fame, has the singer-composer also received an opportunity to sing for heroes in the Hindi belt?
Bhairava, who has dubbed his Telugu songs from “RRR” and the “Baahubali” films in Hindi, said he is “manifesting” a chance to sing in the language. (PTI)
