Hemachandra

After lending his voice to songs for top Bollywood and Tollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan and Mahesh Babu, singer Hemachandra is upbeat about his Kollywood debut in Sura where he sings for actor Vijay.

A visibly excited Hemachandra, who has more than 80 songs to his credit, says, "I'm glad that I worked with Vijay in his 50th film. In fact, I am grateful to music director Mani Sharma for giving me this opportunity. I was elated when I came to know that Vijaygaru appreciated my voice and liked my style of singing. Thanjavoor Jillakkari is a peppy number and I enjoyed singing it too."

Hemachandra has also sung two songs in the Tamil version of Taare Zameen Par. A happy 'accident' made him a part of the Chennai Super Kings IPL3 Hindi team anthem, he says. "I was recording in the same studio in which the soundtrack of CSK was being worked on. When director Mani Sharma spotted me there, he told me to sing for CSK's Hindi anthem," recalls Hema. "It was an impromptu decision and I finished singing it that very day."

The young singer has set his eyes on Kollywood. While most other vocalists diversify singing in other South film industries after making their debut in Tamil movies, this Hyderabadi boy hit the reverse gear.
"After my stint in Sa Re Ga Ma in 2005, singing for Telugu movies was a natural progression for me. But now after singing in various languages including Assamese, I want to work more in the South, especially in Tamil films," says Hemachandra whose idols are composers A.R. Rahman and Illayaraja.

The youngster confesses that the opportunity of mixing his album in A.R. Rahman's studio was his most exciting experience yet. "I was on cloud 9 when I entered ARR's studio and saw his console. I find Rahman sir an extremely innovative person and draw inspiration from him to enhance my creativity," says the singer, who turned music director with Telugu film Ride.
Praised as the 'Sonu Nigam of the South' and the next S.P. Balasubramaniam, due to the way he modulates his voice to suit different actors, Hema says singing has always been his passion.

There has been no looking back since he was noticed in the reality show Sa Re Ga Ma, but he confesses he didn't expect to turn composer so early in his career. "I started composing music as that was the best way to express myself. Moreover, composing music also helped me as a playback singer. I could understand the requirements of the song from the music director's point of view," says Hema, who looks forward to hosting the next season of the Telugu version of the show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil' Champs.