BENGALURU: It was a moment to remember and cherish for Arjun Sharma, a Bengaluru-based actor-turned-musician who achieved new heights in his career after recently performing at the 2023 IIFA Awards. “IIFA was amazing. Looking back at it, it still feels unreal that I got this opportunity fairly quickly. Usually, people who have been working for a decade or so finally get their break but in my case, fortunately, it happened earlier. It was incredible to perform in front of all the stars in the audience. It’s a huge deal for me,” shares Sharma, who goes by his stage name Quake.
He has been making music professionally for the past three years. Growing up in the city in a Punjabi family, Sharma regards himself as ‘completely a Bangalore boy’. “My family has been in the city for over hundred years. My great-grandfather had shifted here. Since the city has a mix of people from all over the country, I also make my music in such a way that everyone would be able to understand and relate to it. I am trying to make music that is accepted pan-India, along the lines of Badshah and Raftaar,” he says.
Sharma, before following the song bird, had a career acting in Kannada cinema, largely playing negative roles. “I was only approaching directors for negatives roles because I wanted to do those roles. I never really wanted to play the hero. It’s just not me. But I had a great experience. I worked with some very warm people and if I get a chance again, I’d love to be in a movie,” he says.
Presently between Bengaluru and Mumbai, he says his music is deeply by inspired by Spanish music. “My friends and I have always kept listening to Spanish music. The songs have the afro dancehall beat. And I’m in this industry to create commercial music, more specifically, what you call ‘hype’ songs. Music you can groove to,” concludes Sharma, who recently created a track (yet to be released) with rapper-producer Lakshya Parihar AKA LXSH of MTV Hustle 2.0 fame.