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Shankar Mahadevan: Q&A draft Q. The Shiv Chalisa is a revered and traditional hymn. What made you choose this composition for your breathless rendition? Shiv Chalisa brings about immense changes in one’s life, from improving relationships to general positive outlook towards life. Dr. Sanjayraj Gaurinandan & Me wanted to present it in a way that everyone could benefit from, by making this Shiv Chalisa a part of their morning rituals. Ardent Shiva fans can listen & chant it along with me in less than 4 minutes, which will complete their Lord Shiv Aaradhana. Even if we could reach a fraction of the devotees with this beautiful breathless Shiv Chalisa rendition that has released on Shemaroo Bhakti YouTube Channel, I believe our work has borne fruit. Q. How did you balance innovation and tradition while presenting the Shiv Chalisa in a unique breathless style? (Raag, Taal, Tempo) Technically speaking, the Tempo is 115, slightly above Madhya Taal, and Scale is A 2/4. It was best suited for this rendition to keep the traditional essence alive and keeping scope for modern music. The melody is based on the traditional Raag Mishr Miyan Malhar, further infused with new music arrangements. Q. How does it feel to collaborate with Dr. Sanjayraj Gaurinandan again for Shiv Chalisa? I am blessed to have rendered a traditional hymn such as Shiv Chalisa in breathless format. Thanks to Dr. Sanjayraj Gaurinandan to come with this suggestion and coxing me to take this further. You can now listen to this breathless Superfast Shiv Chalisa on the Shemaroo Bhakti YouTube Channel. Never had I imagined that this would become so unique & synonym with me. I am grateful that I can extend this to different formats apart from Bollywood and bring popularity to our traditional hymns. Q. Your previous breathless rendition of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ has 21 million views on Shemaroo Bhakti’s YouTube channel, how do you feel about the overwhelming response? I am humbled and grateful for the incredible response the super-fast version of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ has received. The love and support from the audience has been overwhelming. With this new rendition of the Shiv Chalisa, I hope to continue touching people's hearts and connecting with them on a deeper level, bridging tradition and modernity in a way that resonates with both the younger generation and devotees of devotional music. Q. Role of traditional hymns in your childhood? I have grown up listening to traditional hymn and studied Sanskrit, which has immensely helped me in my music career. So, yes traditional hymns have played a significant role in my childhood and have continued to be a part of my life journey.