Follow your passion till you win

Passionate musicians let nothing stop them from revelling in tunes and rhythms and better yet, carve a name for themselves in the oceanic world of music. Be it a demanding career that leaves one with little time or societal conventions that express doubts on the fruitfulness of indulging in it; nothing hampers music lovers.

And, city boy Arun Chillara fits this persona comfortably.

While he was active in music groups in schools (he grew up in various parts of the country) and participated in many competitions, his first major break came during his first year in IIT-Kharagpur. He is a man of many talents, from singing and composing, he is also a guitarist and lyricist. “Being a part of IIT-Kharagpur and IIM-Kolkata later, gave me immense opportunities to channelise and hone my talents.

While predominantly self-trained, I came across a lot of people, whom I’ll proudly call my mentors. My first stage performance as a Kgpian was as a lead guitarist and it was well-received,” reminisces Chillara. His interest in music drove him to spend most of his free time with a tape recorder, listening to songs, humming along and recording his tunes lest he forgets them.

These recordings came in handy when he decided to release his own album, Flying High which has eight songs, out of these eight three are his old creations.

Not only have the songs received appreciation on social networking and streaming websites but they have also won critical appreciation by noted music critic Rajiv Vijayekar. Chillara was also invited by 94.3 Radio One’s RJ Tarun in his show Good Morning Pune. “I was very excited and it was great fun being in the show,” he said. “The title song, Flying High reflects different aspects of and experiences in life as I have seen it. The title song is something all can relate to because it is about freedom to follow your passion,” he added and that is exactly what he did.

His music video ‘Barish’, which was released on September 23, has been shot in places like Lonavla and Kharghar Hills in order to portray the theme effectively. He has also done songs for the play, Tempest, that was staged in NCPA and St Andrews. He has also been involved making music for a few non-feature films. His USP, as most of his critics point out, is the minimum use of orchestra in order to give more power to the song. Instruments as he puts it “should add value to the song and thus should not be overused”.

Chillara holds a BTech degree in chemical engineering and has done a post graduate diploma in management. It is difficult to juggle his professional life, family and his passion. So how does he manage to find time for strumming and singing among all this? “It is extremely difficult. It took me three years to complete my first album. Many times I find myself composing tunes in my car, in between client meetings. Being busy on weekends and working late are also routinely. But, I make sure my performance is not compromised, be it work or passion,” said Chillara.

His unswerving drive and the support from his family are pivotal for his success. “My sister in particular was a constant support and encouraged me to take it forward and not get bogged down by societal conventions. My wife is graceful enough to put up with my absences when assignment deadlines on both spheres come closer,” said Chillara.

“Soft rock is my favourite genre and my true ambition is not only to do independent shows but also set foot in Bollywood music which still rules the scene,” he concludes.