SP Vishnu Saketh Bhattar
With his exciting music style and energetic performances, Anirudh Ravichander is a name beloved among young audiences across South India. Released just this week, the Kolaveri Di singer’s new track Aaya Sher has wormed its way into 1.6 million ears on YouTube alone while the retro-style promo music he made for the highly-anticipated Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth film promo has gotten fans waiting at the edge of their seats for its release. Multiple times last year, rumours swirled around the 35-year-old, speculating that he was to marry Kavya Maran, the owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad which the singer rubbished but have resurfaced again.
Edited excerpts:
You are currently working on a major project KH x RK involving legends like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. How did you approach making music for such personalities as a composer?
Obviously, every time the expectation is high, but we don’t like to take any pressure. My team has been the same from school – the same band, so we just enjoy the process of making music every day. I think however much we enjoy making it, that will reflect in the final result. So we have followed the same procedure all these years.
You have delivered blockbuster songs for many years. How do you manage expectations and pressures with this level of success and attention?
I think it has been 15 years now [since Kolaveri Di became viral], and we are blessed that the audience has kept us in such a high place. What we can do best is give back music that they enjoy, work harder with every film, and try to deliver a bigger success than the previous one – taking it one movie at a time.
There is a lot of buzz surrounding the concerts in your ‘Rockstar Anirudh XV: 15 years with you’ tour. What can the audience expect from your upcoming shows?
Yes, the new tour has just started, and the next show is happening in Hyderabad. Touring has been a very integral part of our career. Audiences all over the world have given us a lot of love. The energy and vibe have always been great but this is a new tour, so a new experience awaits.
When can we see you perform in Bengaluru next?
I performed in Bengaluru just a few months back, doing two shows back-to-back. It was a crazy experience. Maybe we can return after a year!
What made you want to start a tequila venture in Bengaluru?
This venture has been in the works for about three years. Harsha from Hyderabad, who has already been in F&B for a long time, came up with the idea. Then Rana Daggubati got involved, and then it came to me. I am always interested in exploring different businesses, so I thought that it was the right time for an Indian tequila to grow. We started globally, first in the US, and finally we have come to India. We are really excited about what lies ahead because the newer generation is increasingly interested in cocktails and tequila-based drinks.