Odisha’s Rising Star, Shasank Sekhar

Odisha’s Rising Star, Shasank Sekhar

With the number of singing talents from Odisha making their presence felt in national reality shows on the rise, Odias back home get reasons to cheer almost every year. The latest music sensation from Bhubaneswar who’s got music lovers from across the country swooning over his soulful voice while bringing accolades for his state is Shasank Sekhar.

A contestant of the live singing reality show on Colours channel, ‘Rising Star’, Shasank is now amongst the ‘Favourite Sixteen’ participants in the show after winning the second round over Shriprashanna Pindachal. Though she set a high target of 73%, Shasank surprisingly nailed it at a whopping 89% in the last episode of the show.

A well-known playback singer in Odisha, Shasank already has a number of hit Ollywood songs to his credit. He also received this year’s State Award as the Best Playback Singer for the song Dine Phuti Thila Phula from the movie ‘Tu Kahibu Na Mu’.

Congratulating the talented singer on his successful journey so far, MCL talks to the rising star as he prepares for his victory on the show. Excerpts.

When did your journey with music start?

It started when I was as young as nine or ten years of age. Eventually, my love for music got me admitted to the Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Bhubaneswar.  With a scholarship, I was trained in Hindustani vocal. Later I participated in a few reality shows including ETV’s ‘Amari Swara Season 2’ in 2010. I was also the winner in ‘Singing Super Star’ on Sarthak TV. My debut in playback singing was in the Odia movie ‘Prem Weds Priya’ in Prem Anand Sir’s music composition.  

However, I’d like to specially mention here that my guru Sri Chandan Kumar Jena’s teachings and blessings have got me this far today.

Your popularity has been on the increase ever since you participated in Rising Star. You even got 94% live votes in the first round. Did that build to the pressure?

Unlike other shows, Rising Star is a live show where there can’t be any re-takes, making it extremely challenging to perform. One has only a single chance and limited time to prove oneself. The person who stands behind that wall would only understand the pressure of performing like that. I felt blessed that people loved my singing and voted for me, so that I could come to this level.

How did you feel when your wife and daughter sat on Judge Diljit Dosanjh’s chair?

As I was behind the wall, I was unaware of their presence.  It was only after I ended my song, and faced the judges and the audience that I saw them sitting there. I was equally surprised and glad to see them there.

Which have been your unforgettable moments on the show till now?

First, I felt blessed to see in person, people like Shankar Mahadevan, Diljit Dosanjh and Monali Thakur whom I have only seen on TV, in cinemas, listened, and performed on their songs in some stage programmes. I also got the chance to meet and interact with Sonakhshi Sinha and Rapper Raftar. They were supportive and encouraged me a lot. Shankar Sir even complimented me saying that I looked like Bahubali but sang like Arijit Singh. I can’t forget those lines coming from a legend like him. The smiling faces of my wife and my daughter after I succeeded in the first round are the most unforgettable moments of my life!

Have you participated in any national reality shows before Rising Star?

Yes, I did. I have struggled a lot to reach this place. Prior to participating in this show, I had participated in many popular reality shows like ‘X-Factor’ and ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV, and ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ on Zee TV. However, unfortunately, I would remain within the top 60 to 80 participants. But this time, I have cracked it and appeared on a popular national television channel like Colours. The love and appreciation that I have got from people all across India has been overwhelming and motivating.

Who are your all-time favourite singers in Ollywood and in Bollywood?

Legendary singers of Ollywood like Akhaya Mohanty, Prafulla Kar and Pranab Patnaik are my all-time favourites. Talking about Bollywood singers, I love listening to Mohammed Rafi and Sonu Nigam. They have been my childhood favourites while I like Arijit Singh from our generation.

You have also done some cover songs on YouTube. Tell us about them.

I noticed that many new singers were posting cover song videos of Hindi songs on YouTube.  My friends and I thought that there are a number of beautiful Odia songs, which can be used to do a cover. So to experiment, initially we did two songs including ‘Suna Ra Chadhei’ and ‘Sathi Aji Miligala’. To our amazement, both the songs crossed more than 6 lakh views on YouTube. We have also planned to do some more cover songs based on old Odia songs using Indian instruments, just like we had used flute in ‘Suna Ra Chadhei’. Nonetheless, these projects have been postponed as I am busy for the show now.

Who has been your biggest support?

My wife is my biggest support. As she also studied music with me in college, she understands the kind of environment a singer needs. Becoming an established singer is not only mine, but my wife’s dream too! My entire family is also doing everything they can to back meNow, I am working hard to make this dream come true

. .Your future plans… will you continue working in Odisha or shift to Mumbai?

Of course, if I get work in Mumbai, I will go there. But I will never leave the Odia industry. I am ready to sing wherever I get work.

What is your message to aspiring singers?

You have to be patient to succeed in any field. It’s not just about talent and hard work. One also has to be down to earth to shine and become a star.