Chennai prodigy Lydian Nadhaswaram is ‘The World’s Best’
As his fingers flew over the keys, it became clear that Lydian Nadhaswaram, the 13-year-old child prodigy from Chennai, was the favourite to win ‘The World’s Best’ global talent contest. On Thursday Lydian was declared the winner, taking home $1 million in prize money.
The Chennai youngster, who spent four years at maestro A.R. Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory and is now tutored by his father Varshan Satish, stunned the judges at the contest by playing 280 beats per minute. He then increased his speed to 325 beats per minute.
“This is genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever seen live,” tweeted James Corden, host of the show.
Lydian also featured on the Ellen DeGeneres show last week after his appearance on the ‘The World’s Best’ contest.
The teenager, who is home schooled, told The Hindu that he spends on an average of six hours a day practising music under the guidance of his father Varshan Satish, a music director.
“I listen to music on YouTube and spend time going through music software. Along with my sister, I experiment a lot and we compose our own music,” said Lydian. The prodigy can play blindfolded, handle two pianos simultaneously, apart from being adept at playing the guitar and mridangam, his mother Jhansi said with legitimate pride.
Currently, he is investing time on the technical side learning skills such as mixing, sound systems.
The lad does not watch much television, but he is a regular on YouTube. “I recently picked up a movie from YouTube, then muted the sound and created my own audio. It was fun,” he said. Citing an example, he said he had tried this experiment with the animation Storks.
His performance has earned him an invite to the Jazz Foundation of America’s annual gala “A Great Night in Harlem” at the Apollo Theatre in New York on April 4.
Lydian says he wants to compose music for Hollywood. “I want to work for an animation film,” he said, adding that he also wants to play the piano on the moon at some point.
Lydian’s father, Varshan, said: “Last year, Micheal Novogratz sent Lydian a Steinway grand piano. Now he has invited him to perform at the concert with some musicians.”
His mother Jhansi proudly said that he also plays the guitar, mridangam among other instruments.
On Thursday afternoon, Oscar winner A R Rahman went to Lydian’s house in Saligramam (Chennai) and appreciated him. Lydian has spent four-years training on a full-scholarship at AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory under Surojeet Chatterji in the Russian Piano School.
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Annamalai left out of BJP’s candidate list for Tamil Nadu polls, party cites High Command decision
Chennai/New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has released its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, triggering political discussion after the absence of former state president K Annamalai from the roster.
Despite being widely seen as the party’s most prominent face in the state and a key figure in its southern expansion strategy, Annamalai was not fielded in the list. Senior leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North, and Union Minister L. Murugan from Avinashi, have been nominated.
Responding to questions on the omission, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said the decision was taken by the party’s central leadership. He expressed confidence that all 27 candidates would emerge victorious in the polls.
Annamalai, a former IPS officer who joined the BJP in 2020 and rapidly rose to prominence, had earlier been replaced as state chief by Nagendran. Known for his aggressive political style and grassroots outreach, he has been instrumental in amplifying the party’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by Dravidian parties.
In a message posted on X, Annamalai congratulated the candidates and reaffirmed his commitment to the party. He said he would campaign actively for BJP and NDA nominees, expressing confidence in the alliance securing a decisive mandate. He also criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, calling it ineffective and self-serving.
The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Seat-sharing arrangements allocate 169 constituencies to the AIADMK, 27 to the BJP, 18 to the Pattali Makkal Katchi, 11 to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, five to the Tamil Maanila Congress, and one seat each to the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi and Puratchi Bharatham.
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23 across all 234 constituencies, with counting scheduled for May 4. The primary contest is expected between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, although actor-turned-politician Vijay is also positioning himself as a potential challenger, raising the possibility of a multi-cornered contest.
#WATCH | Chennai | Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran says, "A list of 27 candidates has been released by the BJP High Command... All the 27 candidates will surely win this time..."
— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2026
On Annamalai's name not appearing in the recently released list, he says, "This is a… https://t.co/pDd0HodSAW pic.twitter.com/29gkGK9AaP
