They may have famous singer parents, but Syesha Kapoor and Siddharth Mahadevan have forged their own paths. They bond over growing around Bollywood, their foray into F&B, and how restaurants are the new film industry
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They have renowned singers for parents, and they both love food, but that's about where the similarities end. Moreover, this is the first time they're meeting as adults. But that doesn't stop Siddharth Mahadevan and Syesha Kapoor from hitting it off instantly. Despite being Alka Yagnik's daughter, Syesha has kept her distance from Bollywood, choosing instead to handle marketing and branding as associate director for Silver Beach Entertainment & Hospitality. Siddharth, meanwhile, has followed in his father Shankar Mahadevan's footsteps, but he too has entered the F&B space as partner at the newly-launched Mojo's Bistro. We get the duo together at Fable, Juhu, for a chat.
Mahadevan: I think IâÂÂÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂÂÂu00c2u0088met you around 20 years ago.
Kapoor: Wow, how do you even remember?
Mahadevan: I believe it was when my dad and your mum were getting an award together.
Kapoor: They meet often, but I hardly go out to any of these parties, so I don't end up meeting anyone.
Mahadevan: I rarely socialise with people from the film industry either.
I have my set of school and college friends, and very few are from the industry. You won't find me at a Bollywood party.
Kapoor: People used to keep asking me why I don't sing. There's a simple answer to that. Because I can't. My mum has set a benchmark few can touch. A child has the genes of the father and the mother. My mum is a great singer, but my dad can't sing to save his life. He's great at business, though.
Mahadevan: You've got those genes from him, then. I've taken after dad. I knew that I wanted to make music. At the same time, I used to have people telling me I was born for business. And it's been my dad's dream to open a restaurant. So, when the opportunity came along, I jumped at it.
Kapoor: And the restaurant space is the new Bollywood. A lot of people think that restaurants are glamorous, like the film industry. But they have no idea how wrong they are. It's a lot of work.
Mahadevan: I'm finding out now (laughs).
Syesha Kapoor and (Below) Siddharth Mahadevan enjoy a meal at Fable, Juhu. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
Red Wine Poached Pear Salad and Watermelon and Feta Salad arrive.
Mahadevan: Watermelon and feta is the best salad on this planet.
Kapoor: With lots of pine nuts.
Mahadevan: The poached pear salad is great, too. Both are really fresh.
Mahadevan: Do you cook?
Kapoor: A little.
Mahadevan: My dad loves being in the kitchen. He cooks every day.
Kapoor: What about you?
Mahadevan: I'm the sort that experiments. Oh, and I don't like cooking vegetarian food.
Kapoor: I'm vegetarian (laughs).
Uchil: What's your take on the nepotism debate?
Mahadevan: To be honest, today, nobody cares who you are.
Kapoor: True. You have to prove yourself. Anybody who is under the impression that they will get special treatment is in for a reality check.
Mahadevan: People say to me, "It was easy for you to get into music. Your dad's in the industry." But if my dad wanted to do something about my career, he'd have done it long ago. It was Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra who pushed me to sing for films. You might get a lucky shot because of your name, but you need to be good to stay relevant.
Kapoor: The pressure is worse because you came via an influential personality. You cannot do anything less than amazing.
Mahadevan: I feel the pressure sometimes. But my dad has always told me to be original. I'm not trying to be a Shankar Mahadevan.
Kapoor: Exactly. I'd rather do something well from scratch than do something that I already know I won't be good at. And I'd like to think that I'm great at handling my restaurants. It's the small things that matter. For instance, if I can't understand the problems my staff is facing — why the AC isn't working, what my clients need — it doesn't matter how good the restaurant looks or how many celebrities visit it. This becomes crucial because competition is tough.
Mahadevan: True. There's probably a new restaurant opening with every breath we take. I think the best part about this industry is that if you're good, there's enough business for you.
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