Om Karr, an independent artist making his way in the music biz without a godfather

Om Karr

It wasn't much far off when Kangana Ranaut was calling out the Bollywood industry for nepotism and godfather influence. She almost went to the extent of saying that star kids are the only preference in the B-town big banners. But this trend is changing. Despite the star kids getting an upper hand, we see more talented artists making their way into the industry in all fields.

Omkar Bhalerao is another such example who decided to pave his own way into the music industry. His expertise is just not restricted to singing. Omkar, known by his stage name Om Karr, is a singer, songwriter, and music composer.

Though he completely immersed himself into music only in the past two years, his natural musical inclination and sheer determination drove him to create several originals and mashups. His songs are getting widely recognized on YouTube and other music streaming platforms.

Well, how is this possible for a young lad who has no connections in Bollywood? His family belongs to a mid-class stratum of society with his father being an ex-government job.

"Success comes to those who have the talent and who strive to prove it," believes Om Karr.

He doesn't believe in godfathers. "Even if one has a godfather, they won't receive support constantly. No one can uphold you if you don't have the talent. Whereas, if you are good at your work and continue to improve yourself every step of the way, there will be many to support and cheer you on," he says.

Om Karr is someone who strongly believes that one doesn't require big funding or glamour setups to get recognized. This is one of the reasons he decided to go independently and release his music on his own YouTube channel and other digital streaming platforms.

"Times are changing and the way people consume content is shifting. Social media have given a platform for new artists to get recognized. All you have to do is create content regularly and strive to improve and learn," he says.

When Om Karr says to be a regular in content creation, it can be seen that he really means it. In 2020, he release 12 songs, both covers and originals. "The pandemic, in a way, was a blessing for me. While initially I was getting depressed by being stuck at home, I pushed myself to compose songs during the lockdown."

Om Karr has multiple original singles already in his name. It includes Ik Firangi Sapna, which narrates the struggles of an international student (inspired by his own life story), Dard, which talks about depression, Hum Hindustani Hai, a patriotic song which was released in August 2020, and Kya Hoga?, a song that describes the curiosity of a child.

His latest original Tu Hi Tu, which was released in March 2021, talks about the emotions of a person who is heartbroken and lives in the memories of his past. It has created a buzz in social media as well.

In addition, his mashup list includes Arijit Singh's popular Bengali song, Mon Majhi Re, mashed up with Bheegi Bheegi (Gangster). Other names include Yellow (Coldplay) X Jannatein Kahan (Jannat 2), O Sanam (Lucky Ali) X Tere Bin (Ek Paheli Leela), Telugu song Samajavaragamana (Ala Vaikunthpuramuloo), and Despacito-Teri Khair Mangdi-Bailando. "This has been my most complex mashup out of all till now as it is a blend of three different languages (English, Punjabi, and Spanish)," he says.

So where does he find the inspiration to write and compose songs? "I do not have any classical or professional training. All my songs are inspired by the things I see and feel around me. Though they are mostly based on dark themes, they give a reality check and connect one to his true self," he says.