In Thug Life, cinematic and musical powerhouses Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, and A.R. Rahman join forces, as Shashwat’s energetic vocals add a bold and exciting edge to the cinematic experience. In addition to Thug Life, Shashwat has also sung the title track for the highly anticipated Bollywood film Metro… In Dino, a follow-up to Anurag Basu’s acclaimed Life in a… Metro (2007). Titled “Zamaana Lage”, the track is currently trending across platforms. The film stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Saswata Chatterjee, and Konkona Sen Sharma. An alumnus of A.R. Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory in Chennai. He has previously worked with Rahman on Tamasha, Sanju, and Mohenjo Daro making Thug Life their fourth collaboration.Though he has contributed vocals to several South Indian films, Thug Life marks his first collaboration with Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam. With hit tracks from Tamasha to Love Aaj Kal, Brahmāstra, Sanju, Shehzada, and now Metro… In Dino, Shashwat is quickly becoming one of the most exciting rising voices in Indian playback singing. Shashwat is back with his soulful romantic track for Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani, Jr. NTR Starrer ‘War 2’. The beautifully composed song titled “Oopiri Ooyalaga” in Telugu and “Ulagena Uruveduthaay” in Tamil features the sizzling on-screen chemistry of Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani and is already generating massive buzz across platforms. Sung by Shashwat Singh and Nikhita Gandhi, with music composed by Pritam, the song is an evocative blend of sensuality and elegance. Shashwat’s rich and expressive vocals bring depth to both language versions, once again showcasing his versatility as a multilingual playback singer. Speaking about the experience, Shashwat shared, “Lending my voice to the Tamil and Telugu versions of Aavan Javan earlier was a thrilling experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, both linguistically and musically, and that challenge made it incredibly fulfilling. I’m grateful to be part of something that resonates across languages.”

1. Your musical journey began at ARR Academy in Chennai, and since then, you’ve come a long way — from singing ‘Wat Wat Wat’ for A.R. Rahman in Tamasha, to Sanju, Mohenjo Daro, and now Thug Life & War2. How does it feel to come full circle and be part of yet another Rahman project?
It’s a crazy feeling. Such legends. I’m grateful to share a project with such brilliant artists. Collaborating with sir is a feeling of home coming. That’s how I feel.

2. Can you share your experience recording the song for Thug Life? What was the energy like in the studio, and how has the audience responded so far?
I surrender to my composer’s process. How many ever times we need to rework ideas on a song I go and execute that in the studio of my composer. I got few lines in the song because I think it’s around a situation in the movie. Point being, I loved doing my bit in the song for ARR sir.

I am getting very positive feedback from the audience for ‘Sugar Baby’. I saw many comments on the official YouTube release saying “Although I’m a Tamilian, I enjoy this version of the song more”. I loved that. Kudos to Nikhita Gandhi for her stunning performance as the lead in the song. Loved the rap by Shuba as well. The recording process was really fun because I got to spend time with the legend lyricist, Mehboob ji. He is a very sweet artist and he exudes that amazing energy. It’s an honour to be a part of a Kamal Haasan starrer, a Mani Ratnam directed and – an AR Rahman musical.

3. You also sang for Dulquer Salmaan’s ‘Sita Ramam’. Have you considered collaborating with other leading South Indian composers like M.M. Keeravani, Anirudh Ravichander, or Devi Sri Prasad (DSP)? If so, what kind of musical synergy would you hope to create with them?
I’ve been a fan of M.M. Keeravani since I was a kid. I absolutely love the song Tu Mile Dil Khile, Aur Jeene Ko Kya Chahiye, and I hope to collaborate with him on similarly soulful tracks—I’m already manifesting it! As for Anirudh and DSP, I’d love to work with them on songs like Chaleya or Srivalli.

4. What are your expectations from your song in Thug Life? How do you see it resonating with today’s listeners?
Big ones only! There is power in spoken word and I believe when I say this, sugar baby is going to bring me more opportunities to work with more musicians from the beautiful artistic land of the south of India.

5. You’ve also lent your voice to the title track of Metro… In Dino, Zamana Lage, the much-anticipated sequel to Life in a Metro, directed by Anurag Basu. Tell us about your experience?
Probably the most musical time in the studio I have ever spent. Every single effort, blood and sweat is worth it when a release happens. I am very thankful to the Dada Duo of Anurag da and Pritam da for believing in me and having my voice in the song.

6. What was the process like recording the song for Metro… In Dino? Have you had a chance to gauge the audience’s reaction?
It’s always great to work with Pritam da—I always have fun recording songs for Dada. But recording Zamaana Lage was definitely special. When I first heard the track, I immediately fell in love with it. The lyrics are so touching that while I was singing, I had to keep my emotions under control.

The song has already crossed over 50 million views on YouTube and other streaming platforms, and the number keeps increasing every day. It’s trending everywhere, and the audience loves it. This might just be a new timeless hit.

7. Zamana Lage features both your voice and Arijit Singh’s. Often, listeners find it difficult to distinguish between singers when multiple voices blend seamlessly in a track. Do you think this affects a singer’s individual identity or recognition?
I love that this is probably my 5th song with Arijit bhai. But the truth of the matter is, Yes, it has an affect on an artist. The audience fights over trivial things and also they fail to register the difference in two voices. Individuality is lost. Market forces have a role to play in this decision and it is the way of the current business.

8. After the success of Zamana Lage, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re particularly excited about?
After Zamaana Lage, there might be another song coming up in Metro… In Dino. They’ve included another one of my songs in the trailer, so I’m hoping that will be out soon as well.

I’ve also collaborated with singer Nikhita Gandhi, and together we’ve formed a duo called ShNik (from Shashwat’s “Sh” and Nikhita’s “Nik”). We’ll be releasing our second song soon. We received very positive feedback for our first track Kaahe, so we’re excited to share the next one with everyone—coming very soon.