What a year it has been for singer Shashwat Singh, who’s belted out hit after hit. First it was Zamana Lage and multiple other songs in Anurag Basu’s Metro In Dino… And thereafter for Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani, Jr. NTR starrer War 2.
Lending his voice to the Tamil and Telugu versions of Aavan Javan was a “thrilling experience” and pushed Singh out of his comfort zone, both linguistically and musically, he tells Indian Link. But it is not the first time he has sung for Hrithik Roshan. Singh’s first for Hrithik Roshan was composed by his mentor A. R. Rahman in the film Mohenjo Daro.
Born and raised in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Shashwat grew up in a home steeped in academia. His father was a doctor, his mother a teacher, and his elder siblings excelled in studies. “I was the odd one out,” he laughs, recalling how classrooms never quite managed to hold his attention. But music did. His earliest musical education came through the jumble of cassettes at home. From his brother’s stash of Kurt Cobain and Scorpions to his parents’ treasured R.D. Burman classics, young Shashwat soaked it all in. “I didn’t realise it then, but something was brewing,” he says.
But life took a decisive turn after he completed his commerce degree. His sister told him about a new music conservatory in Chennai, founded by none other than A.R. Rahman. It was Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory, and for Shashwat, it opened an entirely new universe: Western classical music, opera, piano, theory, and, above all, a community buzzing with creativity. “It was the happiest I’ve ever been,” he beams.
At KM, fate played its part again. While helping a professor with a project translating pieces like Black Swan into Hindi lyrics, Shashwat’s work landed on Rahman’s desk. Soon came the first call: Rahman wanted to meet him. “He read the lyrics and simply said, ‘You should do this professionally. You’re good.’ That was my first interaction with him.”
It would be years, however, before the world heard Shashwat Singh’s voice under Rahman’s baton. In between, he immersed himself in Chennai’s local music scene, singing in studio sessions and learning to navigate the demanding environment of professional recording. Five years later, in 2015, his big break came with Ranbir Kapoor starrer Tamasha. It was a full-circle moment: the kid who once dreamed aloud of singing for Rahman was finally living it.
So what is Rahman like as a mentor? “He doesn’t take classes, of course. But you learn the most in the studio, how he approaches music spiritually, how he guides with the smallest cues. Those lessons are priceless.”
Shashwat’s journey soon led him to another giant of Hindi film music, Pritam. Introduced by producer Sunny M.R., he began recording with Pritam, though many early tracks never saw the light of day. “I’d sing, and sometimes in the end, they’d go with Arijit Singh instead,” he says candidly. “It’s a bit of an ego killer, sure. But that’s the job. You keep at it.”
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Far from resentment, Shashwat Singh’s bond with Arijit is one of brotherhood. “We’ve toured the world together for years. We’ve laughed, shared meals, grieved for our parents. He’s helped me grow as a performer. It’ll never be Arijit versus Shashwat. We’re different artists, different journeys.”
Their creative chemistry with Pritam has since become its own magic formula, delivering hit after hit. We call it the “ Singh tadka” that audiences have come to love. “Touchwood, may it continue.”
The singer has also developed a fondness for Australia, where he’s toured extensively with Arijit. Sydney, he says, offered the wildest crowds, but it’s Melbourne that tugs at his heartstrings – perhaps because his brother lives there. He lights up recounting non-touristy adventures: motorcycle races at Phillip Island, playing a grand piano alone in Montsalvat’s medieval hall, or standing on a Great Ocean Road deck, stunned by his first real view of the Milky Way.
Even a near miss with a kangaroo makes it into his treasure trove of Aussie memories. “I thought it would attack me. Then this tiny dog came chasing it out of the bushes!” he laughs.
Read more: Review: War 2
