A chip of the old block

And while SEL spreads their music across the world, they have been equally active in working for various social causes. The trio was recently seen promoting a campaign for inculcating the right values in children since a young age. When CS asked Shankar Mahadevan of SEL about his relationship with his son and family, this is what he said:

Who: Shankar Mahadevan
What: On his son and family

Promotional Feature/Editor: Shubha Shetty-Saha

Opinion matters
Belonging from the same line of work, clashes are inevitable. I won't deny that there have been times when I have advised Siddharth about something and he hasn't agreed with it. But I have never considered it as an ego clash. Being a father, I always look for my kids' best, but to take it or not is completely his decision. It's a matter of having a strong opinion. He need not listen to me just because I'm his father. In fact, it's good to know that he has an opinion of his own and I completely respect it.

Like father, like son
I don't think Siddharth is very different from me; we are pretty similar in nature. We are both very enthusiastic about everything in life. We enjoy being in each other's company. And both of us try to spend as much time together as possible. For example, we love cooking together. We also watch films and discuss the emerging trends in cinema. Siddharth, being from the current generation, has a better idea about the latest gadgets, so I totally rely on him for insightful discussions on technology.

Spreading happiness
My father was a great man. He was the most chilled out person I have known in my life. He believed in sharing happiness and taught me the same. So, I make sure that no matter what kind of a song I come up with, it touches people's hearts. Also, I have a content family life as well as career and I believe it has helped me form a successful working method for myself. Thanks to the support and encouragement that my wife has always given me, I have been able to maintain a good balance between my family and professl lives. I never get so immersed in work that my family feels left out. Occasionally, I go off work to go on family holidays to spend time with my wife and children.