Shashwat Sachdev is an Indian music composer, lyricist and singer. He is best known for composing the music as well as the background score for the Bollywood action film Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019).
Wiki/Biography
Shashwat Sachdev was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Although Shashwat came from a non-musical background, with a father who was a doctor and a mother who was a philosophy lecturer, he was inclined towards music from an early age. He started learning music at the age of 4. It was his mother who started teaching him music. In addition, his father is also a music lover.
Childhood photos of Shashwat Sachdev singing at an event
For 21 years, he trained in Indian Classical Music in the guru-shishya tradition under his Guru Ustad Ramzan Khan. Speaking about the same in an interview, he said,
I remember my guruji refused to teach me any raag other than Raag Yaman for 11 years until I perfected it and could sing it without any embellishment.”
Shashwat Sachdev with his Guru Ustad Ramzan Khan
He started learning Western Classical Piano when he was in Class 7. He learned to play Western Classical Piano for 11 years. He moved to Hollywood, Los Angeles in 2011 and worked there for several years before returning to India in 2016. From 2006 to 2011, he studied Law at Symbiosis Law School, Pune. Later, he started living in an apartment in Versova, Mumbai.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 9″
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family
His family hails from Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Sudhir Sachdev, is the vice-chancellor at the Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences & Technology (MGUMST). He previously worked as a Professor of Anesthesiology at MGUMST. His mother, Mani Sachdev, is a lecturer at Manipal University Jaipur. His sister, Sahiba Tandon, is an architect.
Shashwat Sachdev with his parents
Shashwat Sachdev with his sister Sahiba Tandon
Wife & Children
His wife’s name is Shruti Sachdev (née Shruti Siag).
Shashwat Sachdev with his wife
Career
After completing his formal education, he moved to Los Angeles after Grammy Award winner Tony Maserati invited him there to work with him. Shashwat and Tony met at an audio engineering workshop in Europe and stayed in touch after that. In LA, Shashwat started his career in Hollywood. In an interview, while talking about the same he said,
I first got my chance in Hollywood. I attended a small seminar in France for sound design and sound engineering. People who attended the seminar invited me to work with them. So, that’s how it started.”
He has worked alongside various top music personalities in Hollywood such as Marc Shaiman, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Mariah Carey.
Bollywood
As a Composer
It was Rhea Kapoor who gave Shashwat Sachdev his first break in the film Veere Di Wedding (2018). While working on Veere Di Wedding, he got an opportunity to work on the film Phillauri. He made his Bollywood debut in 2017, scoring the music for Phillauri, which featured hit songs Dum Dum and Sahiba. Explaining how he got the opportunity to work in Phillauri, he said,
While I was in LA, I was looking for an agency to handle my work. Later, I met Chaitanya Hegde and Datta Dave, who manage some of the great writers in the country. They contacted me with Karnesh sir. He asked me to compose a song.”
For his work in Phillauri, he earned nominations in the Upcoming Music Composer category for “Bajaake Tumba,” Best Upcoming Music Composer for “Sahiba” and Best Song Engineer (Recording & Mixing) for “Naughty Billo” at the 10th Mirchi Music Awards . He composed four songs for the buddy comedy film Veere Di Wedding (2018) and later he scored for the streaming TV series Election Day (2018).
Shashwat Sachdev composed the music in the studio
In 2019, Sachdev composed the music as well as the background score for Uri: The Surgical Strike, which received rave reviews and various accolades for him. His song “Jagga Jiteya” from the film was widely appreciated. Additionally, Uri’s background score was so appreciated that it was released separately by popular demand.
As a Singer
In 2018, she lent her voice to the title track of Kaalakaandi, along with Vivek Hariharan, Romy, and Arun Kamath.
Shashwat Sachdev works with Romy
He collaborated with Sunidhi Chauhan for the song Pappi Le Loon and with Neha Kakkar and Romy for the song Bhangra Ta Sajda from Veere Di Wedding (2018). He lent his voice to various songs of the films Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) and Attack: Part 1 (2022).
Independent Work
Shashwat Sachdev sings and plays the guitar
He worked with Madhubanti Bagchi as a lyricist and composer for the songs Kahaniya (2019), Maan Ja (2020), and Roko Na (2020). In 2022, he dropped his first single Awaara Ho under the label IndieA Records – UMG. The song was written, composed, and sung by Shashwat himself.
Other songs where he worked as a lyricist and composer are Sha – Dobara (2021) with Shreya Jain, Sha – O Jaana (2021), and Awaara Ho – Dream Pop (2022) with Shilpa Rao. He worked as a composer for songs Jubin Nautiyal Meri Jaan (2021), Shirley Setia Tenu Vekhan Da (2021), and Prateek Kuhad’s Kaisi Jadugari (2023).
Album
In 2021, he released his first production album Euphoria And The Following Realties, under the music label Extreme Music. His song Dharma from the album won the Best World Production Music 2021, while Shashwat himself won the PRS Foundation Newcomer of the Year 2021.
He also released his self-titled lo-fi album ‘Sha’ helmed by Shivam Malhotra of Malsons Media. In 2022, he released his second album Shades of Cashmere, under Extreme Music.
Award
- Won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction at the 66th National Film Awards for the film Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
Shashwat Sachdev receives National Film Award for Best Music Direction from Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in 2019
- Won the RD Burman Award at the 65th Filmfare Awards for the film Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
Shashwat Sachdev poses with the RD Burman Filmfare Award
- Won the Best Background Score Award at the 21st IIFA Awards for the film Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
- Won Best World Music for the song “Dharma” from his album Euphoria And The Following Realties at The Production Music Awards 2021
- Won the PRS Foundation Newcomer of the Year at the 2021 Production Music Awards for his album Euphoria And The Following Realties
Favourite
- Singers: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar
- Composers: Salil Chowdhury, SD Burman, Madan Mohan
Facts/Trivia
- Once, in an interview, he revealed that in one of his slam books in Class VII, he had written that he wanted to be a composer.
- He is a travel enthusiast and says that his travels influence his work.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
