You spent years commanding ships before you stepped up to a microphone. Take us back to the very first time singing felt like more than a pastime for you — where were you, and what were you singing?
I am learning music (singing) from Shri Anik Thakurta ji at Artium Academy. He constantly encouraged me. I participated in Artium Superstar Season 1. That was the time when I became really serious, and Shri Ananth Vaidyanathan ji also encouraged me a lot. I reached the finals in the contest and sang before some of the living legends like Sonu Nigam ji and Aruna Sairam ji. This was the turning point for me.
Was there a particular song or singer from your younger days that first pulled you toward music and never let go? Tell us about it.
Yes, I have been a great fan of Mukesh ji. Since childhood I literally worshipped him. I draw inspiration from his style of singing.
You train in Hindustani classical vocal under Shri Anik Thakurta. What is one thing he has taught you that changed the way you hear your own voice?
From the very first class, he advised me to practice every day. No matter even if I practice for only 30 minutes, continuity and discipline are a must.
What made you want to write a song about friendship, and who were you thinking of as you sang it?
Life is very lonely without friends. Friends have always been my strength. Through thick and thin they have supported me. All my friends since childhood and school days are still in touch with me. They were very much in mind when I wrote this song.
Walk us through this piece — what were you feeling when these words first came to you?
Very often you find that some very good friends (boy and girl) eventually fall in love but are unable to express. Those hidden emotions are a real treasure for a writer and singer to express the unsaid emotions.
You wrote, sang and produced this one entirely yourself. What was the spark behind it?
Today's India is very different from what it was 20 years ago. Beautiful highways, expressways, new airports, world-class infrastructure, India's achievements in space science, Make in India... all these are the contributing factors. Also, we Indians love India no matter in which part of the world we live. I have written and expressed these things in my song.
From practice rooms to the Artium Superstar Grand Finale stage, you've sung in front of all kinds of audiences. What was running through your mind during this particular performance?
I was a bit nervous. So many legends in front and I had never been in this situation before.
Tell us about your practice routine — when and how do you fit riyaaz into days spent running a maritime company?
I start my day with pranayam followed by riyaz. Basic alankars and palta riyaz.
What can you tell us about this next song, and when do we get to hear it?
Tere Bina Sab Suna is a song about love and dealing with grief. It's being released on Spotify on 16th October 2026.
After a full life at sea, you've given yourself over to music. What would it mean to you to have your songs reach and move people?
For me, it would mean that I have been able to touch a human heart through my music. After spending decades at sea and in the corporate world, I have experienced many dimensions of life. Music has given me a different way to express the emotions, experiences and thoughts that words alone sometimes cannot convey.
I would feel truly fulfilled if my songs could bring a smile to someone’s face, offer comfort to someone going through a difficult time, rekindle a beautiful memory, or inspire someone to look at life with renewed hope. If a person listens to one of my songs and feels, “This song speaks to me,” then I would consider that a meaningful achievement.
Of course, I dream of performing before audiences in India and abroad and having people sing along to my songs. But beyond the applause and recognition, my greatest wish is to create music that connects people emotionally and stays with them long after the song has ended.
The sea taught me to navigate the vastness of the oceans; music is now teaching me to navigate the vastness of the human heart. If my songs can make even a small, positive difference in someone’s life, this new voyage of mine will have been truly worthwhile.
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