Kantara came to me through Instagram; there wasn’t even an audition: Abby V

With roots spanning Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi and Canada, and a musical journey that blends Carnatic, Hindustani and Western influences, singer Abby V has built a distinctive voice across languages and genres. Known for popular tracks such as Channa Ve Channa and Atharamai, Abby now shares a deep emotional connection to Bengaluru and Kannada music. He made his Kannada cinema debut with Kantara: Chapter 1 and recently lent his voice to a song in The Devil — speaks about growing up immersed in sound, discovering Dr Rajkumar’s legacy, and finding his place in Kannada cinema. ‘I’M SORT OF ALL OVER THE PLACE — I DON’T KNOW WHAT MY ROOTS ARE’ Abby’s personal geography mirrors his musical one. “I’m a Tamilian originally, but my ancestors are from Kerala. My grandparents moved to Delhi, I grew up in Toronto, Canada,” he says. After moving back to India, he chose Mumbai as his base, but Ben galuru holds a special pull. “I feel very closely attached to Bengaluru. I find a deep associa tion with the city,” he says, adding, “It’s interesting — I’m sort of all over the place. I don’t really know what my roots are.” ‘MUSIC WAS NEVER FRIVOLOUS — YOU HAD TO DO IT PROPERLY’ Music was always central at home, shaped largely by his father’s passion. “My dad sings quite a bit. He’s not a profes sional musician, but he’s very passion ate,” Abby recalls. That passion translat ed into discipline rather than pressure. “Music was never taken lightly. If you sang, you sang properly,” he says. Performances, competi tions and structured learning were part of growing up. “When you learn, you learn prop erly — that was the approach. Music was integral to our lives.” ‘I WAS OVEREXPOSED TO INDIAN CULTURE — AND I’M GRATEFUL’ Raised abroad, Abby experienced what he laughingly calls classic NRI parenting. “You know how NRI parents are — they overexpose you to culture,” he says. Carnatic and Hindu stani music, ghazals, Bollywood songs, dance and visual arts filled his childhood. Film music — Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu — came first, before classical music took over in his teens. “Eventually, music became my full-time profession,” he says. ‘AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY’RE JUST NOTES AND EMOTIONS’ Abby doesn’t believe in rigid genre boundaries. “I’ve never seg regated Carnatic, Hindu stani and Western mu sic in my mind,” he explains. The R&B-inflected vibrato in his voice sits comfortably alongside classical phrasing. “I’ve nev er ana lysed it too much, but you’ll hear all these in fluences when I sing,” he says.‘There may be a tribute series on Dr Rajkumar’ A recent video where Abby blended Kantara’s Madana Mana Mohini with Rajkumar’s Nadamaya struck a chord online. “Both songs are in the same raga — Todi in Carnatic, or Bhairavi in Hindustani classical music,” he explains. “The response has been overwhelming,” Abby says. “Nadamaya especially — it’s such a classical composition. Many people have asked me to recreate some of his music.” He’s open to the idea. “I’m working with a couple of producers, and maybe there will soon be a tribute series on Dr Rajkumar,” he says.‘They trusted me with Kantara — and that’s a big blessing’ “A lot of people don’t believe me when I say this, but I really bagged Kantara through Instagram,” he says. “Someone from Ajaneesh Loknath’s studio DM’d me and said, ‘We’d like to cast your voice for Kantara.’ There was no audition. They had already decided it was going to be me,” he states. “For a film of that scale, they could have chosen someone older and more experienced,” he adds. “Kantara has given me so much.” He describes the process as deeply collaborative, crediting both Ajaneesh Loknath and Rishab Shetty.‘I’ve become a Kannadiga at heart, truly’ Singing in Kannada felt natural from the start. “It’s a very welcoming language — not just in reception, but also in singing,” Abby says. “Kannada is very musical and merges beautifully with tunes.” Pronunciation, he says, was never a hurdle. He adds, “I’ve never had an issue singing in Kannada. It’s always been a pleasure.” Bengaluru’s love has been constant throughout his journey. “Ever since I started putting my work out on social media, Bengaluru has been my number one city. I’m actively learning Kannada, and somewhere along the way, I became a Kannadiga at heart,” he says. Living in the city is very much on his mind. “I’d love to move to Bengaluru if I get the opportunity to sing a lot more Kannada songs," he says.