He conquered hearts when he sang Khwaja Mere Khwaja on Indian Idol.
John Abraham called him his favourite. And, when he sang Aage Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe, he received a standing ovation. Indian Idol winner Sreeram Chandra Mynampati has now added another feather in his cap by wielding the microphone for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and for a Yash Raj project.
This 24-year-old from Hyderabad, whose debut music album Rehnuma released soon after his win, seemed the perfect choice for the Hindi, Tamil and Telegu soundtrack of Narnia 3. “The producers had heard me when I was a participant on the show and appreciated my singing. When Rehnuma released, they thought I would be the perfect choice for the film,” says Sreeram, who is happy to be the “chosen one”. He elaborates, “Rehnuma means a guide and the makers of the film felt that the title track fit the context of the film.” The project also includes a music video with Sreeram with clippings from the film.
The singer, who received his first break with music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman, adds, “Rehnuma is a difficult song to render. It belongs to the Sufi and Qawali genre, which is hugely popular in Bollywood right now. I received a lot of praise from industry musicians who listened to the album.”
His performance at the Commonwealth Games with Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Shivamani and Sukhwinder Singh, was also an unforgettable moment for him. “My time there was a huge learning experience, where stalwarts from Indian music industries shared expert advice with me,” says an elated Sreeram, who spent three days in the company of these music stars.
Having learned classical music for the last few years, he credits his success to his grounding in Carnatic music. “Even when I was an engineering student, I concentrated on my music classes. My grounding in classical music has lent to my versatility. I don’t want to limit myself to a single music genre. I plan to experiment in rock, pop and jazz in the future,” says the singer.
But, this success has been hard earned for Sreeram, who is now working towards a strong foothold in Bollywood. “My success hasn’t been instant. I know the value of hard work and my triumph at the national level has been the result of concentrated effort over the last five years,” he says.
“Everyday was a learning experience at Indian Idol,” emphasises the singer, who wishes to work with A. R. Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Ilayaraja.
“I want to touch people’s heart with my music,” he says, adding there is scope for new and experimental music in the country. “Good music is always appreciated. My win proves this,” says Sreeram, signing off.