Given a chance to be in the company of film stars or Shankar Mahadevan, Indian Idol 5 contestant, Sreeram Chandra says his choice would be Shankar Mahadevan.“He is somebody I secretly wanted to meet. As a musician, singer and as a person he is beyond compare. His down-to-earth nature is what floors me,” says Sreeram.
With praises heaped on the chap by all composers, singers and actors who visited the sets of Indian Idol 5 Sreeram says he feels blessed.
“It will be a hard choice to decide between hotties like Lara Dutta, Kangana Ranaut, Bipasha Basu and Sonam Kapoor, so the safest bet would be to stick to my all-time idol Shankar Mahadevan,” says Sreeram.
For Sreeram who has been singing and training from the age of eight, performing on a stage isn't new, but the boy says “each time the results are declared, my hands and legs shiver.”
Currently he is pursuing fifth year in Carnatic vocal from Haripriya (Hyderabad sisters) and a diploma course from Sri Bhakta Ramadasa Music and Dance College, Marredpally, Secunderabad.
“I have been performing in the regional stage and TV shows and abroad but those were the guiding steps for me. But like all actors and singers, Bollywood was my dream and I see the dream turning into a reality,” says the boy.
Nicknamed chupa rustam by the two anchors of the show Sreeram says, each time there is an elimination, his heart sinks. By his own admission his strongest opponent was Shivam and when he was eliminated, Sreeram couldn't hold back his emotions.
“Shivam was my roommate for the past three months and when he left I was left all alone. I felt something missing, we had developed a good friendship in the shortest time span,” he recollects.
A focused singer, Sreeram says he is not minding the isolation and the rehearsal regimen.
“We are here for a mission. We are here to sing and make something of ourselves from the given platform. I however miss home and long for the 10-minute phone calls on Thursdays. But time simply flies,” he says.
Besides being a good singer and someone who laughs with no inhibitions, Sreeram's other love is food. “I am a foodie and we are really being spoilt for choice when it comes to food,” he giggles.
Speaking about his musical journey so far, Sreeram recollects. “I started playback singing at the age of 17, after winning the Ananda Raagam contest and have so far lent voice for 33 movies and sung 45 songs. I also have done a Hindi private album. Besides I have sung for 28 devotional albums and recorded many jingles. My best experience would be the few solo bit recordings for Keeravani. My experience with music directors like Koti, Keeravani, Micky J Meyer, Ramana Gogula, Anoop Rubens, R.P. Patnaik has taught me treat different songs in the best possible manner.
And looks like his hard work paid off as he has already recorded a duet for Saleem Sulaiman with Shreya Ghoshal.
And when compliments like, ‘he has a terrific playback singing voice,' come from Shreya Ghoshal besides composers and the judges, what does Sreeram has to say, “Oh my God. Did she say that? She is a star herself and I would definitely treat it as a great compliment.”
On further persuasion Sreeram admitted that when actor Kangana Ranaut spared sometime for him and related her personal struggles to stardom, “all I could do was look at her and make sure her picture is permanently stored in my memory.”
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