Singer-composer Vivek Hariharan, who made a mark with songs like Roohdaari from Fateh, looks towards the future with much hope

Pursuing one’s passion can lead to miraculous results and singer-composer Vivek Hariharan is a living example of that. The man who crooned Challa in Uri: The Surgical Strike; Current Laga Re in Cirkus; Dum Dum in Phillauri and Ghere in An Action Hero, recently turned composer with Sonu Sood-starrer Fateh.

It was an experience that has left him excited and ecstatic. To record the song Nindiya, he went to Belgium to get the real opera feel. But before that, let’s know Vivek, the man who ditched a career at a management consulting firm to pursue his passion in music.

Growing up with multiple influences at home—father from Chennai, mother Bengali and native place at Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, Vivek grew up in Mumbai, learning Bharatnaytam from the age of seven. With a keen interest in music, he pursued different art forms while making a career in the management field. It was in 2014 that he took a leap of faith and bid goodbye to his lucrative profession to pursue art. “I was doing very well in the professional space, but the love for music tugged at my heartstrings and it needed undivided attention,” shares Vivek, who started with ad jingles, graduating to playback singing soon enough.

Step by step

Challa …Main Lad Jaana gave him the big break and as much as he is grateful for Challa and Dum Dum, he is equally thankful to each ad jingle that kept him motivated to pursue music full-time.

As he set up his studio to make his kind of music, he came up with the song Roohdaari, a romantic ballad sung by Jubin Nautiyal, blending pop, Indian classical and qawwali influences. The song was just a scratch when it found its taker!

Vivek spills the beans. “The first song that I ever composed was Roohdari and as I played it for my friends, it reached Sonu Sood, who was working on Fateh. He liked it, we had a meeting and on day four of Roohdaari being composed, it went into shoot.”

Writer, director and lead actor of Fateh, Sonu Sood, wanted another song with an opera feel and thus was born Nindiya, which Vivek likes to call a death lullaby. He says, “Nindiya is a blend of opera, the first-of-its-kind in Bollywood, and orchestral hip-hop, topped with a lullaby melody rooted in the emotional context of death.” Nindiya is played during a high-octane action sequence in which Sonu Sood takes down the antagonist’s gunmen. Vivek went all the way to Belgium to record the song in a remote chapel near Antwerp to achieve the authentic room dynamics and natural reverb that the chapel provided. The opera segments for this song were recorded in Belgium with Tineke, a skilled opera singer. The arrangement was orchestrated by Kris, an opera vocal arranger who frequently collaborates with Hans Zimmer. The production also features Yevheniia, a talented Ukrainian violinist whose Western classical expertise enriches the song’s layered composition.

“Complementing the grandeur of the opera is the delicate Indian vocals lent by Hamsika Iyer, known for her hits like Chammak Challo and Chanda Re,” shares Vivek.

Chandigarh calling

When not composing or recording, Vivek gives live performances, which have given him a chance to meet and greet music lovers, something that he immensely enjoys. In fact, he is looking forward to a chance to play in Chandigarh. “People not just have a taste in music, but love to enjoy life and their high energy is infectious. I am hoping to perform there soon.” Singing, composing has given Vivek wings to put his dreams into melody and he is loving every minute of it!

On his favourites’ list

Singer: Arijit Singh, he is one of the most honest singers.

Composer: AR Rahman, there is nobody like him. He’s been a huge influence on a generation of musicians.

Concert: Adele in August 2024 in Munich, Germany. She was incredible that night. With the sheer power of her voice, she can transport one to the surreal world.