An engineering degree from a reputed institute is often seen as a ticket to a corporate career. But Nikhil Paralikar, a graduate of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), had a different plan. Despite his family's wish for him to become an engineer, he decided to pursue music and see if he could make a living playing the tabla.
That decision has now caught the attention of industrialist Anand Mahindra, who featured the musician in his Monday motivation post. Mahindra highlighted how Paralikar asked his family to give him just one year to try and build a career in music. That one year eventually turned into a full-time profession.
According to the video shared by Mahindra, Paralikar has performed more than 2,500 times, played before audiences of over 15,000 people and created a musical collective that blends Indian classical and folk traditions with electronic and contemporary music. For Mahindra, the story is about more than a musician's success. It is about the courage to step away from a conventional career path and give one's passion a chance.
Who is Nikhil Paralikar, the VIT techie who chose tabla over engineering?
Paralikar's interest in music began long before he entered college. As a child, he would drum on boxes at home while his father hummed tunes. The rhythm apparently went well with his father's singing, and his mother soon noticed that he had a natural knack for percussion.
