Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Loy Mendonsa, Ehsaan Noorani and Shankar Mahadevan in September 2014
Background information
Also known as	S-E-L
Origin	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Genres	Film score Indian classical Rock world music
Occupation(s)	music director instrumentalist composer music conductor film scores film score composer
Instruments	Guitar keyboard synthesizer santoor sarod
Years active	1997–present
Labels	SEL Songs
Associated acts	Shakti KAY-S. Farhan Akhtar
Members	Shankar Mahadevan Ehsaan Noorani Loy Mendonsa

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy is a famous Indian music group. It has three talented members: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, and Loy Mendonsa. They create music for movies, also known as soundtracks. They have worked on over 50 movie soundtracks in five different languages. These languages include Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and English.

This trio is known as one of the best music groups in India. They have won many important awards for their music. Some of these awards are the National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards, and IIFA Awards. People sometimes call them the "Amar Akbar Anthony" of the Hindi film music world. This nickname means they are a very popular and successful trio.

They are especially famous for their music in movies like Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). Other popular movies they scored include Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010). Their music also made movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) special.

Meet the Music Makers

Shankar Mahadevan: The Voice

Shankar Mahadevan is the main singer of the group. He grew up in Mumbai, India. From a young age, he learned different styles of Indian classical music. He started playing the veena, an Indian instrument, when he was just five years old.

Shankar studied software engineering in college. After working as a software engineer for a while, he decided to follow his passion for music. He won his first award for singing in a Tamil movie. This was for a song in Kandukondain Kandukondain. He became even more famous when he released his own music album, Breathless, in 1998. In 2019, he received the Padma Shri Award. This is a high honor for his amazing work in film music. Shankar has two sons, Siddharth and Shivam, who are also singers.

Ehsaan Noorani: The Guitarist

Ehsaan Noorani is the talented guitarist of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. He learned music from a young age. He also studied music in Los Angeles, USA. Before joining the trio, Ehsaan played in two bands in Mumbai.

When he returned to Mumbai, he became very popular for composing jingles. Jingles are short songs used in advertisements. He started his own journey as a jingle composer. Ehsaan was asked to create music for a film called Dus. He then invited Shankar and Loy to join him. This was the start of their musical partnership. Ehsaan is the only Indian musician to have a special guitar line named after him. It's called 'The Ehsaan Noorani Fender Squier' signature series. Fender guitars are one of the biggest guitar makers in the world.

Loy Mendonsa: The Keyboard Master

Loy Mendonsa plays many instruments. He is skilled at the piano, bass guitar, and harmonica. He is also learning to play the trumpet. Loy was a music teacher in New Delhi. He got his first big chance when he was asked to write music for a TV show called Quiz Time.

After that, Loy composed music for other TV shows, including The World This Week and the Shah Rukh Khan TV show Fauji. Loy moved to Mumbai and met Ehsaan in 1989. They started working together, creating many ad jingles. Loy's daughter, Alyssa Mendonsa, is also a singer. She has sung in some of their songs.

How the Trio Formed

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy performing in Bangalore in 2012

Shankar, Ehsaan, and Loy all had musical careers before they teamed up. They played different styles of music like rock, blues, jazz, and pop. Shankar Mahadevan, who was a software engineer, studied various classical music forms. Ehsaan Noorani learned music in Los Angeles and worked with famous musicians. Loy Mendonsa was trained in Western classical music and also learned Indian classical music. He played in bands and composed music for TV shows.

Ehsaan and Loy first met in 1989. They started composing many ad jingles together. Later, they met Shankar when he sang for a Pepsi advertisement. This ad was directed by Mukul Anand. After this, they began composing music for ads as a trio. This was the beginning of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy.

Their Journey to Fame

Early Days and First Big Hits

The trio was supposed to make their movie music debut with the film Dus. The director, Mukul Anand, wanted Ehsaan to compose the music. But Ehsaan insisted that Shankar and Loy join him. Sadly, the film was not finished because the director passed away. However, the music album for Dus was released in 1999.

After Dus, they composed music for a few other films like Rockford. But these films did not get much attention. Their big break in mainstream Bollywood movies came with Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Mission Kashmir. The music for this film was a huge success. It helped the trio become well-known in the Bollywood film industry. They also received awards for their work on Mission Kashmir.

Dil Chahta Hai and Rising Popularity

In 2001, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy entered the Tamil film industry. They composed music for Aalavandhan. The music sold well because of the excitement around the movie. However, the real turning point for them was the film Dil Chahta Hai. This was the first movie directed by Farhan Akhtar.

The trio composed a title song for Dil Chahta Hai that Farhan loved. He then signed them to create all the music for the film. The movie and its music were highly praised. Dil Chahta Hai became a very popular film. This success earned them their first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. This movie also started a long-lasting friendship and working relationship with Farhan Akhtar's company, Excel Entertainments.

Kal Ho Naa Ho and National Recognition

After Dil Chahta Hai, their next major project was Kal Ho Naa Ho from Dharma Productions. The music album for this film was incredibly popular. It became one of the best-selling Indian music albums of 2003. The soundtrack won many awards, including the National Film Award for Best Music Direction. This was their first National Film Award. They also won their first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for this film.

In 2005, they worked on the film Bunty Aur Babli. The music for this movie became very popular with the public. They won their second Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for Bunty Aur Babli. The song "Kajra Re" from this movie, featuring famous actors, became a huge hit.

In 2006, they worked with Dharma Productions again for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. The music for this film was highly praised. It became the second highest-selling Indian music album of the year. That same year, they composed music for Farhan Akhtar's Don: The Chase Begins Again. This soundtrack included new versions of songs from the original Don movie. One of their songs, "Aaj Ki Raat", was even included in the Oscar-winning soundtrack for Slumdog Millionaire.

Continued Success and New Ventures

The year 2007 was a very successful one for the trio. Their music for Salaam-e-Ishq and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was loved by critics and fans. Both albums topped the music charts. Their next movie, Heyy Babyy, was a big success in both the film and music categories.

In August 2007, they co-produced the album Johnny Gaddaar. This was a new step for them in Bollywood. Both the music and the movie received great reviews. Their last album of 2007 was for Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par. This music was also very well received and gained a special place with the audience.

In 2008, their major release was Rock On!!. This movie and its music became a huge favorite among young people. It was a big commercial success. The soundtrack earned them another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.

Their first soundtrack of 2010 was for My Name Is Khan. The music mixed Western and Indian classical styles. It was very popular and won them several awards. This included the Screen Award for Best Music Director. They also composed for Karthik Calling Karthik, where Loy's daughter, Alyssa Mendonsa, made her singing debut with the popular song "Uff Teri Adaa".

In 2011, they worked on their first international movie, West is West, a UK film. Their music for this film was well-received. Their biggest release that year was Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. The music for this movie was highly praised by everyone.

In 2014, they worked with Dharma Productions again for 2 States. This earned them high praise and their third Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. In 2015, they composed for Dil Dhadakne Do, which earned them another Filmfare nomination.

More recently, they composed music for the spy thriller Raazi (2018) and the web series Bandish Bandits (2019). They also created songs for the multilingual film Saaho (2019), starring Prabhas. In 2020, they composed the soundtrack for Chhapaak, earning them another Filmfare nomination. They continue to create music for many films, including Samrat Prithviraj (2022) and Sam Bahadur (2023).

Other Creative Works

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy performing at IFFI 2006

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy have done many projects outside of movies. Ehsaan, Loy, and Farhad formed a band called Instant Karma. They released new versions of old songs. They have also composed music for many advertisements and special tunes for companies. In 2010, they wrote music for the first-ever Bollywood musical, Zangoora.

In 2011, they composed the official song for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The song was called De Ghuma Ke. It became very popular with young people and cricket fans.

The trio has also performed in many concerts. In 2004, they performed for a concert celebrating Indian democracy. In 2006, they held a concert called Salaam Boss to honor the famous music composer R.D. Burman. In 2008, they performed at the Live Earth India Concert. This concert helped raise money to provide solar energy to homes. They also went on a worldwide tour in 2010 called Inspiration: Aman Ki Aasha Tour. This tour was a big success. In 2018, they toured the US and Canada with Farhan Akhtar.

Working Together

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy often work with certain filmmakers and lyricists. They have composed music for most of the films made by Excel Entertainment. This company was started by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. They also frequently work with Dharma Productions, led by Karan Johar. Other directors they often collaborate with include Shaad Ali and Meghna Gulzar.

Most of the lyrics for their songs are written by Gulzar and Javed Akhtar. They also often work with lyricists like Prasoon Joshi.

Their Unique Music Style

Each member of the trio brings something special to the group. Shankar brings his knowledge of Carnatic and Hindustani vocal traditions. Ehsaan adds his Western rock style. Loy brings a deep understanding of fusion music and is skilled with the electronic synthesizer.

They combine traditional Indian music with popular Western influences. This helps them create music that appeals to younger audiences. Their goal is to make tunes that mix the best of both Indian and international sounds. Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are known for creating chart-topping music that Bollywood audiences love.

Awards and Recognition

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy have won many awards for their music. They have won three Filmfare Awards for movies like Bunty Aur Babli, Kal Ho Naa Ho, and 2 States. They also have three IIFA Awards and three Screen Awards. In 2004, they received the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Kal Ho Naa Ho.

In 2010, they were honored with the Years of Excellence award at the Jack Daniel's Annual Rock Awards.

Giving Back

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are involved in many charitable activities. They composed music for an album called Haath Se Haath Mila. This was part of a campaign to raise awareness about AIDS. In 2007, they performed in a concert in Chennai to raise money for The Shakti Foundation, which helps people with physical challenges.

In 2008, they led a rock concert organized by Farhan Akhtar. This concert raised money for a medical camp for children in Bihar. They also launched a talent hunt called You Know You Can Rock Harder G3 Challenge. This hunt looked for the most talented rock band in India. In 2009, they performed in a concert to raise money for Alert India, an organization that fights against leprosy.

Music They Have Composed

See also

In Spanish: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy para niños