HYDERABAD: Telugu pop song ‘Andam’ sung by Ghibran with lyrics by Aditya Iyengar for Amazon Prime Music’s Hyderabad Gig Season one, which was released on August 5, has had an astounding 2.67 million views on YouTube. The melodious rendition has captured the imagination of millions of music lovers, not just for its mellifluous tune, which is hummable and easy-on-the-ears, but also for its sublime lyrics that capture one’s imagination.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Aditya shares that he is thrilled at the manner it is being received. Describing the lyrics that extol a woman’s beauty, he says, “The sheer love of a boy sometimes makes him search for beauty in everything his girl does. This song is about looking for those nuances that make him fall in love.”
The 28-year-old, who quit his job in Deloitte, when he was 25, in order to pursue music full-time, says he loved Ghibran’s mesmerising composition. “The response post-release has been overwhelming and dream-like,” he says adding he has received appreciation from across the spectrum.
The multi-faceted Aditya holds an MBA from IPE, Hyderabad. The music director playback singer, live performer, and lyricist also has an MA in Carnatic vocal music from Madras University.
How did he get interested in music? Aditya, whose dream is to sing for AR Rahman, points out, “It was at the behest of my parents that I started learning music when I was 12 years old. At that time, I never thought of making a career in music. But, then I started getting opportunities to sing in Telugu movies. Tired of the loop-life in the corporate world, I felt it was time to jump careers and pursue a singing career.”
Aditya’s mother is a Telugu and father is a Tamil. Brought up in the Old City of Hyderabad, he fluently speaks and sings in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu and English.
Having sung for over 70 movies, including Baahubali, Disco Raja and others, he has performed in over 1,000 live shows, including in the USA, as a part of Baahubali team with MM Keeravani. He also works as a vocal trainer at the prestigious Shankar Mahadevan Academy.
Worried like the other creative people, he rues, “There has not been much work as movie releases have been put on hold. If anybody asks for my vocals, I’m just recording it in my home studio and sending it across. If anyone needs lyrics, we are trying to finish it off over phone calls. Public performances are completely closed! So there is relatively less work and everything is work from home.”
andam...
Mukhamu pai vaalu kurulu
Na praanalanni laaguthunnave
Yente yente nee andam, na usuru teesthunda?
Paalabuggala pai vunna aa puttumacha baadhente?
Aadhar card lo kuda inthandam yente cheli
When your hair falls onto your face,
it just pulls the life out of me and makes me feel alive.
Will your ecstatic beauty ever allow me to live soberly?
Why does the nevus on your milky white cheek look so good?
How do you look so beautiful even in your Aadhar card picture?
— Tamanna S Mehdi
tamanna@newindianexpress.com
@tamannamehdi