Twenty-one-year old Ashutosh Bhiman performed two nights in a row in Coimbatore to appreciative diners at On the Go and That’s Y Food. This is the second time Ashutosh has performed in the city and he said he was surprised to see so many takers for his kind of music. “the first time I came, I was apprehensive. I was not sure how many people would enjoy my music. But the response I got was overwhelming,” he said.
Ashutosh began with a mix of Sufi favourites and Bollywood. He sang ‘Kabira’ from the movie Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani to ‘Arzian’ from Delhi 6 . His medley of Hindi retro and his audience, clapped, foot tapped, sang along with him and even danced to the old favourites.
Armed just with his guitar, Ashutosh seemed to enjoy the performance as much as his audience did. Just 21-years- old, he has grown up in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. His style is influenced by his guru Ustaad Junaid Akhtar Khan, who, says Ashutosh, nurtured his voice and enabled him to perform on stage without fear. His other teacher Manish Mehra groomed him to use his guitar. “I sang for my friends and family as a hobby. But then, it became a lot more. Now I want to singlike Arjit Singh,” he smiles. Ashutosh has performed in many gigs and says he wants to consolidate his technique and voice before he ventures into playback. he is modest and says, that will hopefully happen at some time. In the meanwhile, he will continue to sing for his audience and continue to grow as “The sky is the limit.”
Ranjana Singhal of On the Go and That’s Y Food, who has been inviting young performers to her restaurants has promised to bring Ashutosh back again to the city. “I hope I can contribute to his dream of performing to a larger audience,” she said.
