Shankar Mahadevan reveals unique recording process behind ‘Koi Kahe’

Shankar Mahadevan revealed that he, KK and Shaan each recorded the entire ‘Koi Kahe’ song before their parts were divided and assembled during post-production. The composer and Ehsaan Noorani also recalled the song’s impact on Hindi music in cl

Mumbai: Music composer Shankar Mahadevan has revealed that he, KK and Shaan each recorded the entire song ‘Koi Kahe’, after which their respective parts were divided and assembled during post-production.

In a special video hosted by Meiyang Chang, Shankar sat down for a conversation with fellow composers Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, along with playback singer Shaan.

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When Chang asked whether the singers had recorded the song together in the booth, Shaan said they were in the room together but recorded their parts separately.

“I think we were there in the room together. But we recorded it separately. And KK, of course, was there. If you listen to it, you can’t tell it was done separately. There is something about it that feels as if we were together,” Shaan said.

Shankar explained that all three singers had recorded the entire song before the individual portions were divided.

“Actually, all of us had sung the whole song. Everybody sang the whole song and then we made the divisions. So, that’s why it sounds very seamless,” he said.

‘Dil Chahta Hai’, which marked Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut, went on to become a defining film of modern Hindi cinema, particularly for its portrayal of urban friendship, romance and youthful independence. Its Goa road trip also became a cultural touchstone, inspiring generations to recreate the journey with friends.

Ehsaan later shared an anecdote about the song’s success. He recalled an evening at a club called Athena, where ‘Koi Kahe’ was played as the final song of the night.

“There used to be a club in town called Athena. We were having dinner there. There was a glass division where you ate dinner and stuff and on the other side people were dancing. And the last song that they played was ‘Koi Kahe’. Everybody there got on to the dance floor. The dance floor was packed. We couldn’t get out of there,” Ehsaan said.

He added that the DJ later approached him and blamed him for creating a song that had got everyone onto the dance floor.

Ehsaan also recalled that another music company had predicted that the ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ album would appeal only to listeners in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill area.

Shankar said Hindi music was not considered “cool” to play at such clubs at the time, adding that ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ was among the albums that changed that perception.

The film’s visual language, casual fashion and conversational storytelling also influenced Bollywood’s depiction of contemporary urban India. Its soundtrack, meanwhile, blended rock, pop and Indian musical elements.