Budding singer Athrav Bakshi has been winning hearts with his melodious voice on the popular reality show Superstar Singer Season 3 which is being aired on Sony Entertainment Television. Hailing from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, Bakshi is amongst the top 9 contestants on the show.

“It feels great to be a part of Superstar Singer Season 3. This has been a dream come true for me. This stage has given me a chance to perform in front of and seek blessings from music maestros like Udit Narayanji, Pyarelalji, Anandji, Anup Jalotaji and Talat Azizji. Singing in front of them has been a great learning experience and I will always remember their words for improvement and hone my skills. Hearing their stories and experiences of how songs were recorded during their time was very nice,” said Bakshi.

The show is being judged by popular Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar. Indian Idol fame Pawandeep Rajan, Arunita Kanjilal, Sayli Kamble, Salman Ali and Mohd Danish are the team captains. The show is aired on Saturday and Sunday 8 pm onwards.

“A very special moment from the show for me was when on the Mohammed Rafi night, I performed songs Tum jo mil gaye ho and Abhi na jao chhod kar. The celebrity judge Shabbir Kumar presented me with his hand made sketch of the legendary Mohammed Rafi,” said a beaming Bakshi.

An ardent follower of Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Sonu Nigam and Arijit Singh, Bakshi dreams of participating in Indian Idol and wants to make a mark in the music industry.

Bakshi is in the team of Indian Idol 12 winner Pawandeep Rajan. “I followed his entire journey on Indian Idol. He was my favourite contestant and I was thrilled to be a part of his team. He spends a lot of time with us and also guides us on how to better our performance,” added Bakshi. 

Bakshi’s formal training in music started at the age of seven at Bollywood singer Suresh Wadkar’s Ajivasan Music Academy in Mumbai where he won a scholarship. Fond of playing cricket, apart from singing, Bakshi also plays the harmonium and the keyboard.

“I want to make a career in the music industry. I want to hone my skills in singing and this platform has given me a wonderful opportunity to learn from great singers. I also like to write and compose music. Whenever i get some free time, I try to write some lyrics. I am also learning how to play the guitar and drums. I have learnt how to play these instruments from videos on YouTube,” said the budding musician.

Born in Mumbai, Bakshi has his paternal home in Hazaribagh. His father Satyendra Bakshi is a software engineer and his mother Purva Bakshi is a school teacher. During the pandemic, Bakshi also participated in an online competition organised by the Kailash Kher Academy and was amongst the top 5.

“My father has no formal training in music but he is very fond of singing and also listening to music. I have always heard him sing and that is how I too picked it up. My parents and my elder sister are my biggest source of inspiration and supporters. My family in Hazaribagh is very encouraging and I am blessed to have the blessings of my elders,” added Bakshi.