From School Hymns To Learning Kabir’s Verses, Ram Madhvani Says “Singing Is A Great Portal To Yourself”

National 20th February, 2025: Filmmaker Ram Madhvani's deep connection with music began during his formative years at his boarding school in Panchgani, where he learned hymns. Reflecting on those early days, he recalls how singing invoked a higher force within him, sparking an interest that stayed with him through the years. However, it wasn't until recently that he actively pursued singing, guided by Shruti Vishwanathan, the song consultant on his upcoming series The Waking of a Nation, premiering on 7th March, 2025, on SonyLIV.

Madhvani shares, "I started learning how to sing in the last year-a year and a half, actually. I have my teacher, Shruti Vishwanathan, who was the song consultant on The Waking of a Nation, and she is just incredible. You must hear her voice. So, I started learning Kabir because Kabir is a part of The Waking of a Nation."

While the show has music composer Sameer Uddin, whose soothing score adds depth and emotion to the series narrative, Ram was inspired by the lead actor, Taaruk Raina, who has sung four songs in the series. To make his performance authentic, Taaruk took lessons from Shruti to sing Kabir's timeless verses. Leading Ram Madhvani's interest in learning Kabir's dohas, a journey that even led him to Luniakhedi, a small village near Indore, where he met Prahlad Tipanya, one of the foremost singers of Kabir's poetry.

He humbly acknowledged his own musical limitations while praising his wife, Amita Madhvani, saying, "Amita is, by the way, a good singer, and to her, it comes naturally." Madhvani also shared his experience of discovering his voice in speech. He recalled how working with actors made him aware of the power of voice modulation: "I actually learned this from some of the actors I was working with. When I was doing interviews with them, I'd say, 'Hello, how come your voice changed?' And this is what they started doing-their voice started coming from their stomach, and therefore, it all sounded much better at this timbre."

As The Waking of a Nation gears up for its much-anticipated release, Madhvani is determined to continue his musical journey. "Singing is a great portal to yourself, so once the show releases, I shall basically continue learning. And someday, have the courage to actually go out there and sing a Kabir folk doha."

Stay tuned for The Waking of a Nation, premiering on March 7, 2025, exclusively on SonyLIV, as Ram Madhvani brings Kabir's timeless wisdom to life through music and storytelling.