Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 13 finalist Venkata Chaitanya: I didn't want to get back to my software job; it was my biggest motivation to perform

He was any other Bangalore-based techie who had a distinguished talent, bigger aspirations yet a mundane job to do until one of his random song performances on social media showed him the path ahead. Meet Venkata Chaitanya, a software engineer by profession and a passionate singer, who made it to the finale of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa season 13 set to air on March 13 (Sunday). In an exclusive chat with ETimes TV, Chaitanya shared that the fear that he has to get back to the tech world is what motivated him to push himself and perform. Excerpts...

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I didn't expect myself in the finale. Coming to the show and watching the judges was enough for me. I made it to the finale only with the support of my voice trainers, mentors, family and all the love I received all through this journey.

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I think every performance as my last performance. It is my motivation to go forward in the contest. Every time I step onto the stage, I remind myself of my software background. I tell myself, 'If you gonna stop here, you will have to go back to that world' which I didn't want.

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Though I used to sing in school and college, I never took singing seriously. I loved dancing but I hardly had time for dance while working. So, I used to randomly sing and post videos on social media. Somehow, my Aasa Paasam performance reached singer Anurag Kulkarni who appreciated me. That's when I took singing seriously.

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Singing outside and posting videos on social media is different. There is none to judge you there. But singing in front of legendary judges like Koti garu, SP Sailaja ma'am and Chandrabose garu on a prestigious platform like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is something else. It's just the difference between giving a seminar in the class and giving an interview with a panel of experts.

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I'm loving the stage, the attention I'm getting. Everybody is recognising me even with my mask on (smiles). I feel like I should be here and be popular enough that I don't need my job anymore.

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Besides my family, friends and mentors, I have the support of my company as well. In fact, my client supports me. She keeps asking about my journey on the show and encourages me to perform well.

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I always feel my performances are lacking perfection. Deepu Anna always advised me to own the stage, to feel like this is your moment, your song and sing like there's none around. I took time and the right song to understand it. Guess I could achieve that in my Aasa Pasam performance and it was my turning point in the show, too. My father like my Telusa Manasa performance alot. He made me sing in front of him, too (laughs).

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SP Balasubramaniam garu is my icon and I also look up to Anurag Kulkarni. I always believe a singer should be complete excelling in every genre. He/She shouldn't limit themselves to one genre or form of music.

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If I've learnt something in this journey, it is to be confident. I should rather focus on performing confidently than the big finale ahead.

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I should take a break first. It has been hectic for me so far. Also, guess I'm the only one with zero background and training in music. I should learn music first.

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