Some of you might know Adil Kalyanpur as a player who won National Games Gold or as a promising junior who was top 100 in the world, but do you know about his musical alter ego A-KAL ?
A-KAL who has dropped more than 10 songs since the pandemic is coming strong with his first song of the year “My Story” which is dropping on 31st March in collaboration with Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) .
In this interview, Adil talks about his new song and how he came up with the idea of collaborating with Indian Tennis Daily, his inspiration behind rap music, what he hopes people take away from his music and his goals for the rest of the year after coming off an injury.
Below are the excerpts :
Q) What/Who was the inspiration behind your decision on making rap music ?
AK : After watching the movie Gully Boy in 2019 I added “make a rap song” to my bucket list. I started off by just writing a few lyrics everyday in between matches – and once the pandemic hit I finally had time to record and make the song a reality. My plan was to just release one track, cross it off my bucket list and then move on. But I enjoyed the process so much that I thought why stop there. Haven’t really looked back since.
[Song: Captivity of Negativity by A-KAL]
Q) Tell us about your new upcoming song “My Story” which is dropping on 31st March?
AK : For the people that know me, they probably saw a young confident tennis player who lost his way over the years. After hitting rock bottom and finally deciding to come to terms with it, I started writing this song. I’m building my life and career back slowly and want to share my story to whoever’s been through something similar. Sometimes I feel like we can learn more from people who have failed over and over again – because they’ve had so many hard hitting lessons. The song is obviously a bit emotional and comes straight from the heart.
Q) How did you come up with the idea of collaboration with Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) ?
AK : Indian Tennis Daily is a huge platform that’s opened up a connection between all forms of tennis enthusiasts in India – players, coaches, fans, parents etc.
I’ve always wanted to do a project in collaboration, and since this song is about an Indian junior tennis player’s transition from AITA into the International tour, it seemed like the perfect fit. I hope all players, coaches and parents who follow ITD will learn and gain some kind of insight from the story.
Q) What do you hope people take away from your music ?
AK : I strive to be completely open and transparent in every song. When you’re listening to my music my goal is for you to be able to relate to it. We might not have had the exact same experiences in life, but we‘ve all been through ups and downs. I’m putting my vulnerabilities out there for you to listen and feel comforted – knowing that you’re not alone in your challenges. And if I found a way out of a tough phase, then I wanna do everything in my power to help you out too. And the way I’m trying to do that right now is through music 🙂
Q) You are back on court after 2 months. What are your goals for the rest of the year on and off court?
AK : Coming off an injury you gotta start slow and with zero expectations. All I want right now is to be able to get my level up and start competing again. When it comes to rankings, I think I’m gonna be starting from scratch again – but that’s ok. I’m enjoying the process and I have faith a breakthrough is inbound. Big thanks to my wonderful team and family for their continued belief and support during the setbacks. I love ya.
P.S : Set up your reminder for 31st March as A-KAL drops his new banger
