Although a year late, but it was worth the wait for young singing sensation and AR Rahman’s protégé Naresh Iyer. The ‘Super’ singer was chatting on the internet catching up with his friends at his Matunga flat in Mumbai when the news broke in that he has won the National Film Awards, 2005 for best playback singing for Rang De Basanti’s ‘Roobaru’.
In fact Roobaru was his debut song and as a debutant he boasts of sharing the credits for the song with AR Rahman and now this song has won him a national award. Due to litigation in Delhi High Court, the announcement of the 2005 National Awards were on hold until it was finally cleared and announced in August 2007, almost a year late.
“News was in the air that I was getting it. But I was anxiously waiting for announcement. Main thing for me was that the song was doing well. I was confident that I will get the award, but with this official stamp on the song, I can say that mission is accomplished. There’s a sense of completeness in this song now,” he says.
The 26-year-old, however, doesn’t forget to share the credit for success of his song. “I thank AR Rahman sir who has guided me throughout my journey. Also I want to thank Raakesh Omprakash Mehra and lyricist Prasoon Joshi who banked on a debutant like me for this song. Actually all credit should go to them, as they were the one to tolerate a newcomer like me.”
Recalling the incident of him accidentally getting to sing Roobaru, Iyer says, “It was at 4.20 am after almost 12 hours of tiring recording session, that Rahman sir asked me to sing Roobaroo. I never knew that my version would be used for the movie. I was dead tired, but who would miss such an opportunity? I recorded the song but made a mistake in two lines. Though Rahman sir was supposed to sing the whole track himself later, when the film's music was released, I came to know that he had used my track. The part where I had made a mistake was sung by him and thus I got to share credit for this song with him. This was my first Hindi film and I can just thank my stars for this."
However, stardom for Naresh has mostly come in the southern parts of India as being a Rahman protégé, Naresh is mostly involved in regional language films. “In Hindi, I would be singing for the movie Woodstock Villa and I have sung couple of hindi songs for Rahman sir’s upcoming movie, although I don’t know the name of the movie,” he says. “Last one year has been quite busy. I have been traveling a lot meeting a lot of people and I hardly get time to spend with myself and my family members. Me and my mum both miss each other,” he says.
In fact Naresh was doing a course in Chartered Accountancy before being spotted by AR Rahman in Channel V’s Super Singer talent hunt. Although Naresh didn’t win the show, but Rahman found his protégé in him and the rest as they say is history.
“I should thank my family as they supported in my endeavours. They were very cooperative and showed no resistance at all when I ventured out to become a singer. Success is not easy in creative field but they stood behind me. Moreover, my granny wanted me to become a singer. Had she been alive, she would have been happy.”
Being a playback singer has its own disadvantages since visibility is nil or very less. But Naresh seems to be lucky enough. “Down South, I get called up for lots of television shows. I make it a point to be visible enough for people to recognize me. But visibility or no visibility, one has to take all in your stride,” he quips.
However, what may surprise you is despite being a singer, Naresh Iyer hardly listens to music. “I am not an ardent listener at all. I just listen sometimes to catch up with the latest style of singing and music. Although I love MLTR,” he says.
In fact Roobaru was his debut song and as a debutant he boasts of sharing the credits for the song with AR Rahman and now this song has won him a national award. Due to litigation in Delhi High Court, the announcement of the 2005 National Awards were on hold until it was finally cleared and announced in August 2007, almost a year late.
“News was in the air that I was getting it. But I was anxiously waiting for announcement. Main thing for me was that the song was doing well. I was confident that I will get the award, but with this official stamp on the song, I can say that mission is accomplished. There’s a sense of completeness in this song now,” he says.
The 26-year-old, however, doesn’t forget to share the credit for success of his song. “I thank AR Rahman sir who has guided me throughout my journey. Also I want to thank Raakesh Omprakash Mehra and lyricist Prasoon Joshi who banked on a debutant like me for this song. Actually all credit should go to them, as they were the one to tolerate a newcomer like me.”
Recalling the incident of him accidentally getting to sing Roobaru, Iyer says, “It was at 4.20 am after almost 12 hours of tiring recording session, that Rahman sir asked me to sing Roobaroo. I never knew that my version would be used for the movie. I was dead tired, but who would miss such an opportunity? I recorded the song but made a mistake in two lines. Though Rahman sir was supposed to sing the whole track himself later, when the film's music was released, I came to know that he had used my track. The part where I had made a mistake was sung by him and thus I got to share credit for this song with him. This was my first Hindi film and I can just thank my stars for this."
However, stardom for Naresh has mostly come in the southern parts of India as being a Rahman protégé, Naresh is mostly involved in regional language films. “In Hindi, I would be singing for the movie Woodstock Villa and I have sung couple of hindi songs for Rahman sir’s upcoming movie, although I don’t know the name of the movie,” he says. “Last one year has been quite busy. I have been traveling a lot meeting a lot of people and I hardly get time to spend with myself and my family members. Me and my mum both miss each other,” he says.
In fact Naresh was doing a course in Chartered Accountancy before being spotted by AR Rahman in Channel V’s Super Singer talent hunt. Although Naresh didn’t win the show, but Rahman found his protégé in him and the rest as they say is history.
“I should thank my family as they supported in my endeavours. They were very cooperative and showed no resistance at all when I ventured out to become a singer. Success is not easy in creative field but they stood behind me. Moreover, my granny wanted me to become a singer. Had she been alive, she would have been happy.”
Being a playback singer has its own disadvantages since visibility is nil or very less. But Naresh seems to be lucky enough. “Down South, I get called up for lots of television shows. I make it a point to be visible enough for people to recognize me. But visibility or no visibility, one has to take all in your stride,” he quips.
However, what may surprise you is despite being a singer, Naresh Iyer hardly listens to music. “I am not an ardent listener at all. I just listen sometimes to catch up with the latest style of singing and music. Although I love MLTR,” he says.
1 comment:
hands off to naresh rock on....
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