Behind the Journey: Season 2 – Ritviz

In 2017, Indian millennials got a new party anthem in the form of 'Udd Gaye', a lyrical fusion of Indian and electronic music. The artiste behind that hugely popular track which garnered 2.5 million views in just four weeks of its release, was a young musician barely out of his teens. Pune based Ritviz Srivastava, now 22 and known better to his fans simply by his first name, became an overnight sensation after he won the Bacardi House Party sessions with this song.

For Ritviz, however, the musical journey that began in early childhood, is just on the cusp of taking off for wider horizons. He cut his teeth in the music space with classical training in Hindustani music under his mother and guru Uday Bhawalkar, but his passion for EDM and hip hop led him to drop out of school and focus on his own music, which blossomed with a flavour of its own, with a heavy influence of eastern sounds, amalgamated with bass-heavy, techno music.

He says he started composing when he was barely ten years old, but soon realised that while classical music in India was followed traditionally by many people, it did not offer the creative freedom or liberty which musicians like him craved. The unavailability of the music he wanted is what helped him set a goal for himself. All he wanted, he says, was complete creative freedom and to own the track from start to end. This, he says, is what made him want to produce music and ever since, that has been his main focus.

Ritviz's decision to drop out of formal studies to pursue music had his parents' wholehearted support, which allowed him to follow his dreams. During this time, he composed energetically, often at the rate of a track a day, which helped him hone his music skills. His parents' faith in him boosted his confidence and that's precisely why he composed music for around 16 hours a day, never viewing it as mere'work'.

The AR Rahman fan who believes that EDM in India will change immensely in the next five years, also has set his sights on other goals – building an apparel line and creating a collaborative space/studio for artists to explore and discover themselves – a place where learning and creating music will be the sole purpose. Artists, as he says, have to be true to themselves and that is the state of mind he always strives to be in. Despite the success that has come to him at a young age, Ritviz has his head firmly on his shoulders. "Financial planning is very important, especially for someone like me who likes to splurge" he smiles. Also because he knows that once you set your goals, it's easier to save up for them with discipline.

He says the journey of starting to make money at a young age gave him the perspective to start saving at an early age too. This understanding has pushed him to achieve the goals he has set for himself.

A strong believer in the adage that dreams can become reality, Ritviz believes in saving for a better future. Even as he busies himself with his concerts – the recently concluded Casa Bacardi series, the Sunburn Arena and the OnePlus Music Festival, where he performed with international artistes Katy Perry and Dua Lipa – he also understands the need for creative people to take occasional breaks, and knows that it's possible only when one saves money and enjoys the much-deserved down time, keeping all worries aside. And that is how after having released two EPs - YUV and VED, with popular tracks such as 'Udd Gaye', 'Sage' and 'Jeet', the musician is ready with his album Dev, which has eight new tracks ('Liggi', 'Chalo Chalein', 'Thandi Hawa', 'Dev', 'Sargam', 'Chini', 'Sawari', and 'Hum Toh Hai').

At a young age, Ritviz has rightly assessed the value of investing wisely in time as well as money to ensure success in the profession of his choice. A good investment vehicle like HDFC Life Click 2 Wealth gives you the freedom to pursue your dreams knowing that your life is in secured hands. Creativity that is unfettered by extraneous stresses can often yield wonderful masterpieces!

ARN: D/01/20/17493