Bandra's Elvis Presley, Siddharth Meghani, sheds light on his journey with Rock and Roll
For anyone who loves rock and roll, this should be a pleasant surprise. While the King of Rock and Roll—Elvis Presley—is long gone, his legacy lives on and Siddharth Meghani, a Bandra resident fits the bill perfectly.
Adorned in the famous white costume, massive sideburns and glasses, Meghani has left no stone unturned in his endeavour to follow in the footsteps of Presley. A while ago, when I was attending a famous event in Bandra, the host called out his name and little did I know that the dedicated artist would floor us all with his imitation and talent.
Meghani shares that he practically grew up with the beats of Rock and Roll. “Elvis has been a part of my life since I was 10. My mother's side of the family was musically inclined and they were quite fond of Elvis, so I grew up appreciating his work,” Meghani says. And while wedding photography is his bread and butter, singing is his jam and cheese, as he wittingly puts it.
Young talent
It all began for Meghani when his mother realised he could hold a note and later encouraged him to take to singing seriously. Reminiscing the good old days, he muses, “It's been a long journey ever since. When I was 18 years old, I did my very first Elvis performance at St. Andrew's Auditorium with a group called Chanters of Jesus. I did a solo called 'Don't Leave Me Now' which the crowd appreciated and asked for an encore, which I had not rehearsed, so I quickly sang 'Teddy Bear' and it went down well. I was overwhelmed as my mum, who sat in the first row and clapped the loudest.” As of now, his favourite Presley songs are 'That's Alright My Mama' and 'Suspicious Minds'.
In order to show his dedication towards this musical passion, this photographer by profession owns three Elvis costumes, the first of which was designed by two of his friends. The second costume is the one he most commonly uses during performances. It has rhinestones and instead of the American Eagle, has the peacock, since Meghani is India's Elvis Presley. The third costume, however, is a black one from New York.
A matter of dedication
Looks apart, can Meghani really deliver? He explains, “My talent is that I have unwittingly perfected Elvis to an extent that I can sing the most popular songs in my sleep, and friends are in awe of the fact that in spite of not rehearsing before a show, my voice sounds closest to his,” he quips.
When asked whether we can expect to see his performances on a larger stage, he says, “I do have aspirations of performing like him to the "T" which would include performing at the Hilton in Las Vegas or even in his home town, Memphis, in front of the world's best Elvis impersonators and fans, and win hearts the world over,” he concludes.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Siddharth Meghani in character")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}