During the promotion of AR Rahman’s “99 Songs,” he announced a contest in which he welcomed musicians and singers from all over the world to record and upload a cover of their favorite track from the film.
More than 1000 entries were received from all over the world using the hashtag #99SongsCoverStar in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.
On 3rd June, an official announcement was made by the Maestro himself on his social media handle. He announced the top ten shortlisted musicians from the hashtag.
And guess what else? Tillak Pandurangan, a Malaysian, was chosen as one of the top ten. As a result, he was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to virtually meet the Oscar winner.
Nirmika Singh, the founder and CEO of SIGN India, organised this virtual event. This took place on 2nd June via Zoom, with the Maestro in attendance, as well as the remaining 9 shortlisted musicians.
Tillak is from Melaka, currently working in Abu Dhabi and has competed in numerous online singing contests, including Mannin Mainthan Malaysia, an online Singing Competition, during the pandemic.
He was one of the top 15 finalists chosen from among the 700 participants in that particular competition.
Tillak is a very active musician who always posts his covers on his Instagram profile. He uses it as a platform to showcase his musical talents. He is a very hardworking individual with a soulful voice. All of his covers simply demonstrate a sincere and consistent effort and passion for music.
He shared his joy on his Insta post;
Ithu pothum enaku, ithu pothumey! This is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life!
Still feels like I am in a dream!
I had the opportunity to virtually meet the living legend, the Isai Puyal, @arrahman ! This is way beyond my wildest dreams! A true fanboy moment! The experience was almost surreal! A man of great accolades, yet extremely humble and down to earth! Love you so much sir & thank you for this opportunity of a lifetime!
Tillak, we are extremely proud of your accomplishment! Your musical journey will continue unabated, and we hope to see you reach new heights in the future.
