Shankar with Bollywood singer Arijit Singh; they have been a team for four years touring and recording

On a winter afternoon, he would often slip out of college to reach the rehearsal pad on time. The neck of his guitar braved severe blows from office-goers in crowded metro compartments and public buses but his clock kept ticking; if he ran late for a session, he would inevitably delay the next. Thirty-year-old Aditya Shankar — the guitar player who started his journey by the tramlines and rustic buildings of North Kolkata in 2005 — would play for many bands (to earn money) in his juvenescence. His instrument probably raised its eyebrows when he agreed to play for free at a concert. The performance turned the tide for him and designed his future in Mumbai (his current base). He is now the official guitar player of ace Rock group Euphoria and Bollywood playback singer Arijit Singh.