Kshanam Singer – Poojan Kohli

Music transcends barriers and this Punjabi proves just that. Poojan Kohli talks about his journey so far.

Fluent in Telugu thanks to growing up in Vizag, Poojan started singing when he was 15 after being encouraged by his friends. He went on to form the rock band Vyom which won a lot of competitions. Later forming the fusion band Yuga with Sricharan, who was his senior in school, Poojan went on to sing the iconic song Nirbhaya. While studying Engineering in GITAM, he would test out new music on his friends and take feedback.
When Sricharan signed KISS, Poojan was called on to sing a demo. An established singer was to sing the final version, but the makers were so impressed with his diction that he went onto sing Pilla Bagundi, kick-starting his career. Afterwards, he moved to Canada to finish his MBA before he could get into music full-time.

I grew up speaking the language, but to pronounce and express every word perfectly was a challenge.

When he returned, Sricharan wanted him back for Pada Pada Pranama from Kshanam, a song that went on to garner special mentions in reviews. When asked if the switch to playback singing was hard, he asserts that doing fusion actually helped him transition into films better. Working for Kshanam was great but getting the feel of the song right was a challenge, he says.

Residing in Mumbai now, the singer says he misses the peaceful atmosphere of Vizag the most.