'It is natural for Indians to be proud'

Raman Ramakrishnan, son of Venki Ramakrishnan (the Nobel Prize winner of Indian origin) will be in Mumbai soon

Unlike his scientist dad Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, 33-year-old New York based cellist Raman isn't put off by India's raging interest in his life and music post his father's Nobel win.

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009 for his studies on the structure and function of the ribosome. Physicist-turned-musician Ramakrishnan Jr tells us how his dad has been a driving force in his musical career.

Music and science run in the family, Raman goes on to explain his sister Tanya, who is a physician also plays the violin, as does his father; and his mother has been learning to play the cello. So to make that shift to music wasn't tough for Raman, who has a bachelors degree in Physics from Harvard and a masters in music from Juilliard School in New York.

Raman will perform at the Sangat Music festival organised by the 14-year-old Mehli Mehta Foundation next month. He tells us enthusiastically that playing in Mumbai is like playing nowhere else in the world, even though this is his third appearance at the Sangat Music Festival. Ram takes time off the road as he tours North Carolina, for an exclusive e-mail interview with Sunday MiD DAY. More in Play