Hariharan and sons talk what it means to work as a team

In a first, Hariharan has collaborated with sons, Akshay and Karan, for his new ghazal Afsaane, which released on July 16. While Akshay has produced the song, Karan has acted in it. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi

So, do you both take fashion tips from dad?" we ask Hariharan's sons, Akshay and Karan Hariharan, and they all laugh. "They can't! I am too ahead of all of them," says the legendary singer, who has an edgy neck piece, earrings and bracelet on. We meet the trio at their studio in Powai, to discuss their new song Afsaane, which has been receiving a lot of hits online. "It was slow initially, but now it's catching up," says Karan, 25, of the first song they have worked on together.

While Hariharan has composed and sung the song, Akshay has produced it, and Karan has acted in and produced the video as well. "Music consumption has changed so much. It used to be all about how many cassettes sold, now, it's just about the hits," says Hariharan, who we all remember for singing the hauntingly beautiful Tu Hi Re, and being a part of Colonial Cousins during the 90s pop era.

The new love song, which is in typical ghazal style, tells the story of a missed connection. "It's not about a tragedy, but just bad timing. Everyone will relate to it," says Karan. Growing up, both sons remember being surrounded by music, thanks to their father, and grandmother, who was a Carnatic singer. "The influences just seeped in. One day, I would just be playing something and I would look at dad and say, isn't this inspired by that ghazal of yours? It happened unconsciously," says 31-year-old Akshay, who studied economics, but didn't know till much later that he wanted to be a musician. "Karan was very clear. He came to me after school and said, 'I want to graduate in acting'. I am from a family where education is important. So we were a little worried, but then my wife said, 'why should he waste his time, when he knows what he wants to do?' But he always had it in him, so acting was a natural choice," says Hariharan.

Karan graduated from the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles and made his Bollywood debut as a lead actor in the 2016 film Missing on a Weekend, and is right now busy working on another movie. Akshay, though, Hariharan says, was a surprise. "He did economics, and then suddenly said he wanted to be a musician. I tried to explain to him, that it's very hard, and even I have been through many ups and downs. But he was determined. So, I asked him to take a year, make some music, and then we can take a call. What he made turned out to be very good!"

Akshay, who has produced music for movies like Kokanastha and Black Home, is currently working on an electronic-classical fusion album that features his father among other musical greats. But when there are three individuals working on a project, surely, there are creative differences. "With Afsaane, not so much, as it was in keeping with the ghazal genre. But with my own album, of course!" says Akshay. "I look at a particular section and say 'this seems cluttered'," says Hariharan. Akshay interjects, "But that's only because it's not fully done. Eventually, we come to an understanding though."

Karan though loved playing boss to his father as he produced the video. "For a few days, I got to tell them what to do, and that was fun," laughs Karan. But, is dad always right? "Not at all. It's all about what's good for the song," says Hariharan. As far as musical aesthetics go, everyone has a different set of likes and dislikes. If Hariharan looks at the classical greats for inspiration, the sons are more into EDM and background scores.

"We love the background music in games. We keep sending links to each other. You need to know the market - what works, what doesn't," says Akshay. It's here that we ask them about the Sacred Games theme song, and whether it reminds them of Game of Thrones. "We haven't heard the song. But this other game's music we were listening to, also has strains of GoT. The key is to get inspired and not copy." Right now, they are celebrating the success of their song, and planning the next one. Hariharan smiles at his sons, and says, "With the way things are going, we have to do another song, right? It's been loads of fun and we can't wait to do it again."

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