HYDERABAD: They say successful people are those who build their houses with the stones thrown towards him. And the story of LV Revanth, who has won the ninth season of the Indian Idol, probably the most coveted title every budding singer of this country aspire for.
Having won million hearts in both the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through his song Manohari in the Baahubali: The Beginning, the 26-year-old from Mehdipatnam in Hyderabad had hatched a dream of rocking the Bollywood. “What could have been a better platform than the Indian Idol? Language barrier was the biggest challenge for me,” says Revanth.
The journey was not easy. “Ahead of the competition, many people discouraged me saying that grasping Hindi in a short time was a hard nut to crack. Even I was taunted by many. They found it funny when I spoke in Hindi. Now, I am thankful to the ones who had discouraged me. Otherwise, I would have never come stronger,” says Revanth.
Asked when he realised that music was his passion, Revanth smiles. “I have been singing since I was in Class III. During my school and college, I do not remember giving any competition a miss. I lost my father at a very early age. During my intermediate, I felt guilty to ask pocket money from my mother. I then started working with catering companies,” reminisces Revanth.
A native of Srikakulam district, Revanth studied intermediate in VS Krishna College in Vizag. He was brought up by his mother and grandparents. Despite having a strong inclination for music, financial constraints never allowed him take a formal training in music.
“I am not a trained singer. I have learnt from my life experiences. I was never regular to music classes, as I couldn’t afford the fee. One day, I decided to discontinue my Intermediate studies and take a train to Hyderabad. I struggled hard to get a chance to sing in Telugu movies. I participated in various competitions and simultaneously tried to project myself in television.
Finally, my toil for 10 years has paid off,” says Revanth. Before entering the Indian Idol, Revanth was already famous in the Telugu land. He sang in many films including Maryada Ramanna, Badrinath, Mukunda, Prema Katha Chitram. His song in Baahubali evoked a rave response.
“Competing for Indian Idol title was tough. But, I have always a believer of hard work. When the jury members compared me with Arijit Singh, it gave me a lot of confidence,” says Revanth who also lent his voice for the title track for the reality show ‘Sabse Bada Kalakar’.
But, the Indian Idol considers him a Vizagite. “I can proudly say I am from Vizag. My musical journey started here, being a student of the Veda Pathsala. If the Tollywood comes to the city, I will be the first to settle down here. Many Bollywood singers sing for Tollywood, but a few from here go to Mumbai. I want to break the jinx. Given a chance, I wish to compete for American Idol,” Revanth signs off.