People remember a talent hunt singer only if he or she is good: Hemachandra

Remember Hemachandra Vedala from the Jai Ho gharana of singer Aadesh Srivastava? The lanky guy from Hyderabad who was the blue-eyed boy of the judges and audience in 2005 is now back in action. Though he didn’t win the competition then, he still managed to win over hearts. In the last four years, Hemachandra has recorded a few Hindi film songs and become a name to reckon with in the music industry. “I have sung Sabse alag from the film Alag along with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 contestant Nihira Joshi, Chalo dildaar chalo from Himesh Reshamiya’s Dil Diya Hai along with fellow contestants, Vineet Singh and Himani Kapoor,” says the young singer, currently participating in Music Ka Maha Muqqabla. Not one to be content at singing just Hindi film songs, Hemachandra tried his luck with other languages too. “I have also done two albums in Assamese titled Bihu and Maire. When the offer first came to me, I was not at all confident because I did not know the language, but I am happy with the final product. Assamese is a sweet language and I had a great time singing the numbers. Although I found it difficult to pick up the language initially, now I can relate with the language," says Hemachandra. Hemachandra has also been hosting shows ever since his rise as a singer in 2005. “I have been anchoring the show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs in Zee Telugu since 2007. I have done it twice and am looking forward to doing it the next time as well,” says Hemachandra who managed to get his show the highest TRP in the channel. “I am very happy and quite satisfied with the way my career has shaped up. I have been composing the music for a number of Telegu films and am working on my fourth film as a music director,” says the singer who shares a very special relationship with Shankar Mahadevan. “I really had goose bumps when Shankar Mahadevan sang for one of my compositions in a Telugu film. It was a great honour for me to have a national award winning singer of his stature sing for me. Interestingly, I also sang under his direction in the Tamil and Telugu versions of Bum Bum Bole from the movie Taare Zameen Par,” remembers Hemachandra. The progression of Hemachandra is evident in the fact that he has become a mentor in the Telegu version of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Talking about his current stint in Music Ka Maha Muqqabla he says, “Mohit ji is a very humble and down- to- earth person. He is a bit reserved but it feels great to be a part of his team.” The singer is happy to be part of this show because it involves live audience voting. “As performers we always know that a live audience is the best judge. This show gives us the opportunity to prove our mettle in front of a live audience,” he says. And how far does he see Mohit's team go? “Well… I can only say I am not here for winning or losing. I just want the audience to hear good music from our team.” The youngster knows that life after a talent hunt is not easy. "Until the show is on, people keep watching you. But after that, people will remember you only if you are a good singer. That keeps me on my toes." The singer firmly believes that "Talent hunts give you a platform and after that, everything depends on how well you make use of the opportunities."