BENGALURU: Following months of speculation, Sandalwood actors Vasishta Simha and Hariprriya finally tied the knot last month in Mysuru. In early February, the couple hosted a reception, attended by friends and co-stars from Sandalwood. But the highlight was music by city-based ‘Walking Violinist’ Aneesh Vidyashankar. Having known Simha for five years after working together on Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, Vidyashankar was requested to render a performance.
“Like everyone else I was following the rumours about Vasishta and Hariprriya. One day, he called and asked if I would like to perform at the reception. I immediately accepted it,” shares Vidyashankar, adding he created a personalised performance. “We planned a unique entry for them, taking a song from each of their films and mixing them. We chose Marethe Hodenu and Yethake respectively. It was all Vasishta’s idea. Hariprriya had no idea about it,” he shares. “They came down a set of staircases lit with cold fire. I then serenaded them. Throughout the ceremony, my band and I played Kannada tunes. There were a lot of celebrities from the Kannada film industry, and we played a song for each of them, when they got on stage.”
Known for his interactive ‘walking performances’, Vidyashankar has also performed for high-profile celebs. Actors Yash and Radhika Pandit’s wedding reception, actor Sudeep’s birthday bash are some of his highlight performances. One of the reasons for his popularity has been due to his fusing of western influences with Indian traditional music. “Growing up, I was never forced to just focus on Carnatic music, I used to listen to different kinds of music. In recent years, I have started to integrate music that is trending on social media into my performances,” he shares.
A delicate yet heavy instrument, the violin is mostly played in a seated position, not only for comfort but also to reduce unnecessary vibrations. So, what prompted Vidyshankar to become a ‘walking violinist’? “In 2010, I went to Europe and saw musicians on the street performing while moving around. That intrigued me. My father told me that if I can master walking around while carrying the violin, then I should go for it,” he shares. “Initially, I used to plan each step of the performance, but now, the violin feels like an extension of my body.” In recent years, Vidyashankar has gone completely wireless with a customised violin embedded with a transponder, allowing for greater movement.
Having been performing since the age six, Vidyashankar, now 32, has seen the music landscape evolve drastically. “With social media, there’s never been a better time for independent artistes. But it is a double-edged sword, it’s over saturated with content. Also, it has increasingly led to people’s declining attention span. People aren’t interested in anything above 30 seconds anymore,” he concludes.
‘Walking Violinist’ Aneesh Vidyashankar recently performed a surprise rendition at actors Vasishta Simha and Hariprriya’s wedding reception - at the former’s request, and dedicated to the latter. Here’s how it rolled out