This may be his first film, but Ehan Bhat is an articulate newcomer with a lot of confidence. That’s what we discovered in this conversation with the boy from Kashmir who was handpicked by A.R. Rahman, no less, to star as the leading man in his passion project. 99 Songs, a musical romance, marks the maestro’s debut as writer and producer besides composing for the film, and is slated to release in theatres on April 16. 99 Songs stars Edilsy Vargas as its female lead, with Manisha Koirala, Lisa Ray and Aditya Seal co-starring. A t2 chat with Ehan.

This is a dream-come-true for any debutant. Does it still feel surreal?

The film first premiered internationally in 2019 and when the Covid-19 situation hit us and we couldn’t release the film, there were days when I would think, ‘Kisi zamaane mein ki thi ek film!’ (Laughs) But yesterday at the audio launch (in Chennai), the trailer was shown and when I saw people reacting to it, it hit me that how big this film actually is. People were hooting and whistling and I actually had tears rolling down and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is the moment I was waiting for and finally it’s here!’

How did the film happen?

I auditioned for the film through (casting director) Mukesh Chhabra. I had got a message that the casting was happening for A.R. Rahman’s film. Apart from that, I went in knowing nothing. My audition was over in five minutes. After a few months I got a call that I had been selected for the film.

Do you remember the moment when you landed the film?

Oh my God! I think I will remember that moment for life. I was told to be there at 10am, but I was so nervous that I landed up at 9! (Laughs) I thought they had called me to do an audition again and that the final selection would be among four-five people. Then a guy called Karan came over and asked me if I am Ehan. He looked at me, he stared, he judged me (laughs) and then said, ‘You know what? You are doing the film’. I took a moment to process it and he told me again, ‘You are the lead’. I still couldn’t process it and continued staring at him and he must have thought, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?!’ The moment he told me to call my friends and tell them, I knew it was real. I didn’t know the guy but I hugged him because I was so excited. (Laughs) I am a very emotional person, and so I cried (laughs).

Ehan Bhat with A.R. Rahman

What was the first meeting with A.R. Rahman like?

I was very nervous, of course. I am someone who doesn’t talk much... I am just like sir (Rahman), even he doesn’t talk much. I had just come down from Kashmir... this boy with red cheeks (laughs) and I was very shy. I was in the waiting room of sir’s studio and (film-maker) Ashutosh Gowariker just walked in and asked, ‘Hey, have you seen Rahman?’ I was like Ashutosh Gowariker is asking me that!

After sometime, they both walked out and sir introduced me to Ashutosh Gowariker. He then called me in and it was a very awkward moment... sir is very polite and shy. He was staring at me and then looking at the wall... I was looking at him and then looking at the wall! (Laughs) It was very uncomfortable. I am standing in front of A.R. Rahman, so I have the right to get awkward and tongue-tied... he doesn’t! (Laughs) It felt so much like meeting the girl for the first time in an arranged marriage set-up!

But he had a lot to say about you in a recent interview where he described you as ‘the next superstar’. That must have been so special!

I keep reposting that interview! (Laughs) But seriously, I am so grateful that he believed in me as someone who could carry forward his vision. I am completely new and have no connection to the industry. He’s someone whose thoughts are universal and unconventional. He started out like that. The song Dil hai chhota sa (from Rahman’s debut film Roja) has a reggae beat... imagine having that in a south Indian film in the ’90s! In his studio, he would always inspire me to think universally. He wants me to represent India globally... he strongly believes that I can. He always envisions those kinds of things for me. It’s pressurising (laughs), but so humbling.

This has been his passion project for the last 10 years. Did that pressure tell on you on set?

Not really. I have always been keen on acting and 99 Songs is the product of an unbelievable cast and crew. Our director (Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy) is a musician himself who has his own band (Scribe). Our ADs (assistant directors) were mostly musicians. And once I was selected for the part, I was sent to a music school. It was on my bucket list to learn how to play a musical instrument. Rahman sir sent me to Chennai to learn the piano. It’s a very difficult instrument to learn. I learnt it pretty fast, and sir was very impressed with me.

He also sent me to Los Angeles to learn acting. He’s a perfectionist and he wanted me to put in my best. He wanted me to polish my acting skills and also bring in the authenticity of a musician within me. He’s groomed me. He’s nurtured me... whatever you see out there is all thanks to him.

Did you always want to be an actor?

All my life! As a kid, I remember dancing to Satrangi re (from Dil Se, scored by Rahman) and doing Shah Rukh’s (Khan) hook step. I have a big hall in my house in Kashmir and I would gather my cousins and we would dance together. I would learn up dialogues and mimic actors. There was always an actor within me. But I didn’t know how to start, though I knew it was my calling. I took the first step in 2015 and shifted to Bombay.

What do you think this means for a young boy or girl in Srinagar who one day wants to be where you are?

As a kid, I was a kind of vagabond and nobody thought I could do anything. But when the news that I had signed this film came out, I went back home and whoever I met said, ‘Beta, congratulations! Mere bete ko bhi karna hain... kaise karega?’ I have guys from Kashmir who follow me on social media and say, ‘Bro, you inspire us’. I know it’s just my first film, but it’s a big thing for them because it’s a small town.

You also did a short film with Imtiaz Ali. What was that like?

I believe in this saying by Rumi, ‘What you seek is seeking you’. After Rockstar, I wanted to work with Imtiaz sir. I was in Kashmir and I was asked for a self-tape. The next thing I knew I was on a Zoom call with Imtiaz sir. He had seen my film. He told me, ‘I have seen 99 Songs... very good performance’. He told me about the idea for the short film and said he would meet me in Dubai. That man is a dynamo. We shot the short for a period of 10 days. We discussed a lot on world cinema.

Is there a wish list of film-makers you want to work with?

I would love to do a feature film with Imtiaz Ali. I admire Zoya Akhtar’s films... it’s a different world altogether. And, of course, Anurag Kashyap.