Shaan is flying high

He started his career with an Indipop album.
Yet today, Shantanu Mukherjee aka Shaan’s repertoire boasts of a wide range of songs in almost all genres.
It is no wonder then that this talented singer has won back-to-back awards for best playback singing; last year for Chand Sifarish from Fanaa and this year for the mellifluous rendition of Jab Se Tere Naina from Saawariya .
Ask the singer if he was expecting the award this time too, and in his down-to-earth style Shaan says, "I feel honoured that I got it, as this time the competition was tougher.
Though I could not express my happiness and gratitude since I wasn't there to collect the award, but I got many congratulatory calls, SMSes and accolades from all my well-wishers. Now that I have got two consecutive Filmfare awards, I will try my best to do a hat trick next year."
Love tadka
The song Jab Se Tere Naina is steeped in romance. How does the singer infuse so much feeling and passion into his songs?
A smile lights up Shaan's face as he says, "The minute I feel a romantic song that I am singing is getting mechanical, I try to imagine that I am singing it for my wife. Believe me it really works!" And has the singer actually sung this one for his wife? "No, not this one in particular," he says.
So ask him to name a song which is closest to his heart and he instantly replies, "It's just like asking a cricketer to pick his favourite innings. There are so many songs that it becomes difficult to make a choice."
Star value
This playback singer has lent his voice to many top Bollywood stars. However, he says that his voice suits Abhishek Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan the most.
He goes on to add, "Though I must say that I do not have any personal preferences. We don't keep any star in mind when we render a song. But the popularity of a song definitely increases when it is filmed on a big star."
Reality shows
Besides singing songs, which go on to become chartbusters, Shaan has also been a very popular host of a reality music show. Explaining his association with television, the singer says, "Anchoring on television has taught me a lot. It is a treat to see promising young singers on the stage.
There is no dearth of talent in the country and these shows serve as platforms for youngsters and kids to achieve success and get instant fame." Quiz him on whether kids can handle the fame and success and Shaan says, "Young aspirants get enamoured by showbiz, and in the process, they often lose out on their innocence. Here parents should ensure that the kids don't feel pressurised and they do not ignore their education."
This is not the first time that the singer is in Nagpur. Quiz him about the city and he says, "I feel, Nagpur being in the centre of India, should have a national monument or a theme park to highlight its importance."