Behram Siganporia: The pilot who gave up his flying dream to become a rockstar

As lead vocalist and bass guitarist of the four-member electro-pop band ‘Best Kept Secret’, Behram Siganporia qualifies as one of Bengaluru’s pin-up rock stars. The 29-year-old, who performed at billionaire industrialist Gautam Singhania’s 50th birthday bash last month, has an international musical tour and a new album with Universal Music coming up.

Arthcle by Smita Balram Kumar | Economic Times

He is also a qualified commercial pilot. “Flying was a childhood dream,” says Siganporia, who earned his commercial pilot licence from the Epic Aviation Flying Academy in Florida. However, the global aviation industry went into a depression and he was forced to apply brakes on his dream career. ” Kingfisher Airlines, which wanted me in its cadet programme, put it on hold. I applied at charter flights company Aviators India. But they wanted experienced pilots. Managing director Captain Arun Sharma advised me to give up flying and take up music professionally,” he recalls.

Siganporia was introduced to his other three band members by a friend who wanted them to team up and play for his wedding bash.

Instant recognition earned a show at Hard Rock Cafe in Bengaluru. “My aviation career was sinking. But my music career was taking off.”

Three years passed by. The artiste was performing at a fashion show recently when Captain Sharma spotted him and called for a meeting. The idea was to hire him as an honorary pilot for Aviators India. He jumped at it even though his band is heading for its first international tour to Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Siganporia will be a co-pilot with the company. “I will also be serving the company’s dedicated air ambulance service. It will fulfill my desire to fly and do something for a cause,” says Siganporia, who will take off by the end of this year after earning a new licence in South Africa.

He will straddle tempo and turbo, he said, adding that the adrenaline rush is common to both. “Performing for thousands of people at a gig is as good as a soft sweet landing,” says Siganporia, who admits to playing the ‘Top Gun’ soundtrack in his head every time he hits the throttle in the cockpit.