ANURADHA SRIRAM

I WOULD LIKE TO BE A LADY SP BALASUBRAMANIAM
Anuradha Sriram’s lilting voice in the song Nalam nalamaria from the Tamil movie Kadal Kottai and Meenamma from Asai won accolades for her, and made her a much sought-after singer in Tamil films. The success of her pop album Chennai Girl, for which she won the South Screen Videocon award for the best non-film music (pop), has made her popular, and with the video of the album, she is a familiar face for the Chennai folks. Classical, pop or film song, she sings it with elan. Her recent Hindi number for Anu Malik, Ta ra ra from the film Gharwali Baharwali is already creating waves

You are basically a classical singer. Was it by coincidence that you became a playback singer?
Yes. I had not planned to become a playback singer. I was doing a Masters course in Ethnomusicology in the US, where I had to write a thesis. I chose ‘South Indian film music’ as my study material. There was not much documented data on South Indian film music, except for some published articles. This in spite the fact that film music is so popular. I was in awe of Illayaraja, who ruled the South film music for two decades and I took him up as my case study. For a music director to become the most important man in the production process of a movie is something great. So I took up Tamil music culture for my thesis, and named it ‘Illayaraja As A Phenomenon In Tamil Music Culture’. In the process, I also studied the various activities involved in the making of a movie. Also, I trained in opera and jazz, and did a course in voice culture under the guidance of Sherly Mayor. Then I decided to give film music a try, and approached AR Rahman. After a month, he offered me the song Malorodu, in the Tamil film Bombay.

Nalam nalamaria aaval from Kadal Kottai was an instant hit. But your songs which followed never made it to the charts. Why?
I don’t agree with this. Nalam nalamaria was a song which had many things in its favour. Besides the melodious composition by Deva, the picturisation was lavish. The orchestration was simple and the emphasis was on lyrics. All these factors made it a deadly combination. But Dilruba from Priyam also did well, and so did Un uthatora chivappe from Panjalangurichi, and the melodious number Anbenum from Minsarakanavu. Though they were not much publicised, these songs ranked among the top on FM radio. You can’t dismiss a song just because it has not appeared in the Top 10.

Are you offended when you are given songs with
suggestive and double entendre lyrics?
As the saying goes, ‘You have to be a Roman when you are in Rome’. Cinema is purely for entertainment and not for spiritual upliftment. When I sing a number, I keep in mind that I sing for a situation. If I have to sing for a vamp, I can’t sing sophisticated, decent lyrics. When I sing for Jothimeena, I can’t sing melodiously. I try to give my voice the quality of the character. But I have avoided a few songs which were very blatant. Many times I have redone a few songs. I am being practical and I enjoy my work. Sometimes, it is not the lyrics but the picturisation on screen that makes a song vulgar. All this is a part of entertainment.

You are an admirer of Illayaraja, but you made your debut in AR Rahman’s era. Do you feel that if you had started a few years back, you would have got more opportunities to sing for Ilayaraja?

I have sung a few songs in Illayaraja’s recent films. So I haven’t really missed out on the chance to work with him.

How would you compare singing for Illayaraja and Rahman?
You can’t compare two different personalities. Each one has their own individuality and creativity. Just because Illayaraja is not at the fore now, you can’t write him off. AR Rahman has a good knowledge of technological sound. He is a whiz-kid exposed to a different kind of music. The combination of good music sense and a different style of melody has given rise to a new phenomenon like Rahman. I would say that composers like Deva and Vidyasagar have their own style. People with potential, if given opportunities, can become an Illayaraja or a Rahman.

Considering the fact that ‘pop music’ is a new phenomenon in South, why didn’t you release your solo album first, instead of Dance Party, which is a collection of songs by different singers?
Dance Party is a success, thanks to the publicity by Magnasound. It is a compilation of pop songs by seven pop artists, including me. It was released to create a pop environment in Chennai. Before that, Suresh Peter’s pop albums Minnal and Oviyam were released, but they were not well-publicised. With the release of Dance Party, pop music has registered among the people in Chennai. Now it will be easier to promote the artists individually.

You have sung classical numbers, and tried your hand at film music. Now you are into pop music. Don’t you think doing one thing at a time will help you give your best?
I don’t think so. I agree that I have a long way to go as a playback singer. When I sing for a film, the song has my own style, but it is an outcome of various talents put together. The feelings of the lyricist, the feelings of the music director and the feelings of the director who conceives the situation, account for a song. I decided to do my own pop album to convey my own feelings. When I express my feelings of love, I can say it more convincingly when not influenced by other factors. You also add your own things with your imagination, and this appeals more to the listeners.

Do you plan to compose for films sometime later?
Composing needs a lot of experience and I am not yet ready for that. Let me do my bit of playback singing. But there is a definite possibility of me composing music in the future. SP Balasubramaniam is my inspiration, considering the various dimensions he has to his artistry. He is into singing, dubbing, acting and composing, and this inspires me a lot. You become a complete musician when you master various aspects revolving around music. This has prompted me to do other things like anchoring Top 10 shows, and Talk Shows. I would like to be a lady SP Balasubramaniam, always full of energy and enthusiasm.