Singer-Composer, Mohan Kannan, Steps into the World of Bollywood Live Shows

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai,January 2019: Mohan Kannan, the melodious voice behind Bollywood hits like “Chaandaniya” from 2 States, “Yaariyaan” from Cocktail, “Shikayatein” from Lootera, “Kinare” from Queen, “Manjha” from Kai Poche, “Jhumritalayya” from Jagga Jasoos and many more, enters the Bollywood Live Music arena with Larger Than Life shows.

Mohan Kannan’s first foray into Bollywood playback was with the song Khaanabadosh from London Dreams (2009), followed shortly by “Naav” from Udaan (2010) and the super hit “Yaariyaan” from Cocktail (2012). With his continued association with the biggest names in the industry like Amit Trivedi, Pritam and Shankar Ehsaan Loy Mohan has lent his voice to more than 50 songs released in Bollywood and has cemented his place in the hearts of millions of film music lovers in India and abroad.

Mohan’s uniquely recognizable voice, feel and signature style of delivery showcase the fact that he has always chosen to tell a story through each song, something aptly described in the lyrics of his latest song from Laal Singh Chaddha “Kya Pata Hum Mein Hai Kahaani Ya Hain Kahaani Mein Hum”. 

In his Live shows as well, Mohan aims to tell stories, not just with music but also with lights and visuals and production… stories that will make a performance memorable and leave the audience waiting for the next event. Each show shall consist of Mohan’s hits from Bollywood and some handpicked covers from artists he admires, like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, A R Rahman, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Amit Trivedi and Pritam, and each cover shall be presented in a way never heard before, in the unique style that Mohan and his band of musicians bring to the stage.

Having co-curated the premiere Indian Rock Band “Agnee”,and given the world of music some of its finest numbers like Aahatein, Sadaa, Sadho Re, Kabira and  many others, Mohan has created a niche for himself in the music industry with his singing as well as his compositions. Mohan now will be seen experimenting with different sounds in his role as a Bollywood performer and as a Music Director and singer in Bollywood.

Sharing more about his vision, Mohan Kannan shares “I try to bring my composer’s hat to everything I do, whether it’s singing in the studio or singing live on stage. I choose only songs that I can bring a little bit of myself into and that’s probably helped in people recognizing my voice in a song quite easily. Apart from the sonic identity, I am looking forward to showcasing an experience that transcends just the audio aspect and puts forward a truly Larger than Life (or “Larger Than Live” as I like to call it) audio visual experience, one that will stay in the hearts and minds of people long after they have witnessed it.”

Mohan Kannan is all set to get on stage with this exciting new act and will hit the road with shows from January 2020.