H. Sridhar was a highly skilled and dedicated sound engineer who made a lasting impact on those who knew him. In this article, musician Blaaze shares his personal experiences and thoughts on working with Sridhar, highlighting his exceptional technical and musical abilities and the influence he had on those around him.
Through his infectious smile and commitment to his work, as well as the valuable lessons and guidance he provided, Sridhar left a lasting impression on those who had the opportunity to know and work with him. The following words are those of Blaaze as he reflects on his memories of Sridhar.
“Ever since my first meeting with H. Sridhar at Panchathan studios, to every single song I have ever done with him, he has been the man behind the sound. He taught me how to hold a mic correctly, how to monitor myself, and how not to get caught up in the hustle of the industry. His smile was infectious, and I always looked forward to seeing it again.
During one of our tours in the US, we were at a huge basketball stadium and H. Sridhar was engineering the sound from the center on his console. As I filmed the jerseys of famous basketball stars on the walls, he mentioned that I should give him a copy. I still have it and plan to give it to his sons, though I feel guilty for not doing it sooner.
In Atlanta, during our last tour, he came with me to a music store and told me to buy my current in-ear monitors. He was swamped, but he took the time out to get them for me and taught me how to use them. I joked that one day, I would use them at a concert where only he would do my sound.
Recently, when the credit lists for Yuvvraaj were released and my name was missing, I was told that H. Sridhar had written the credits, but they were printed incorrectly. It was eventually revealed that he had written them correctly, but they were messed up by someone else. He was always truthful, sincere, and a gem of a human being. I miss him a lot.
About two weeks earlier, on the last few days of Slumdog Millionaire mixing, I spent some nice nights with H. Sridhar in the studio. He was smiling, working, and puffing along. He even reminded me not to smoke. He spoke about so many things that nobody else knew about RAP. Who will I talk to now?
He mentioned how he had made my voice sound so smooth on the Dating song for its Hindi release and enjoyed it. He was always there to make sure we sounded good.
He also spoke to me about the Thirukural song “Respect,” which I dedicate to him as he loved the way he had mixed the voices so precisely. When you hear the song, you will understand what I mean.
Respect to you, Sir. Respect for your life’s dedication to music. Respect for your loved ones. Respect for sound. Your sound lingers in my heart always and forever. In all I do and all I hear with love and prayers, even though I may never have told you straight up – I love you, man.”
