A Punjab level sportsperson makes his Bollywood music debut

From being a state level sportsperson to a musician, Chandigarh boy Anirudh Kaushal is set to break paradigms as he is makes his debut in Bollywood music by next month. "I wanted to appear for civil services entrance, being good in academics (he scored 91% in Class XII boards from Vivek High Chandigarh), but I was also very passionate about music. It was my father, a Punjab police officer, who dissuaded me from taking up civil services and pursue music instead," says Anirudh who shot the music video of his debut song with Bollywood composer, Vipin Patwa in Chandigarh recently.
Being an outdoor person, and "never a PlayStation kid," Anirudh represented the state (Punjab) in cricket, tennis, badminton, and shooting following in the footsteps of his elder brother, Ajitesh Kaushal, a national level shooter and also a cop. "My dad was also fond of music and would sing. That instilled an interest in music in me. Once people started appreciating my voice in school, I began learning music and in the last three years I picked up learning under a band in city. I wanted to do something different in life, even though I got admission into Punjab University on merit. But to manage everything together, academics, with civil services entrance preparation, and music, was not very interesting, and I became a little frustrated. Before long, I decided to become a full fledged musician only."
Anirudh, who is also the lyricist of his debut track, has also featured in the video. "It's a sad romantic song. I recorded it earlier in February this year, before COVID struck India. But got the chance to shoot the video only now when the crew came here to Chandigarh from Mumbai to shoot it. With very limited crew members, shooting the music video was a challenge. We even sanitised the locations in and around Chandigarh after we had finished shooting there," says Anirudh who is paired opposite Jannat Khurrana, with one Punjabi music video to her credit as a model.

Ask him why he didn't start with Punjabi music, that being his mother tongue, he says, "That is because I always had the inclination for Hindi music. Though Punjabi is my mother tongue, I was exposed to Hindi music since childhood through my dad who sings Ghazals. I wanted to make music with a national appeal when I make my debut."
Vipin Patwa, who has composed songs for films like 'Housefull 4', 'De De Pyaar De', 'Dass Dev' etc., landed in Chandigarh to shoot the music video. Having composed Anirudh's song, 'Sach Manu Ya Fareb', Vipin was glad to shoot in Chandigarh where the COVID situation is not as tense as in Mumbai. He says, "It feels great to begin shooting life after such a long break."