Awards seem to be the flavour of the season for the “Slumdog Millionaire” team. Recently, Chennai girl Tanvi Shah, who crooned her way to fame, was invited to receive the BMI London Award for 'Jai Ho'. The genre-defying singer, who is currently hopping between studios and shows, takes a break to speak to MetroPlus. Excerpts:
WHY BMI IS SPECIAL The Broadcast Music Inc Award means a lot to me. 'Jai Ho' has won the maximum number of awards this year and I guess, it has been performed the most number of times.
LONDON RECEPTION It was an awesome experience to be there at the famous Dorchester Hotel. I found the proceedings really different because they have to follow a particular sequence. After the media interactions came the funniest part, when I had to stand alone and face the camera. There were hundreds of cameramen saying, 'Look at me, look at me' or 'Tanvi one more, side profile' But I felt really proud when they played 'Jai Ho' as I walked up to the stage to collect the award. The audience sang aloud and they were from all over the world. It's true. Music brings us together, regardless of barriers.
POST SLUMDOG Life's not been the same. I feel I'm living a completely new life. I've been travelling miles and more miles and living out of suitcases. Sometimes, it's like a fairytale. I feel blessed. There's a good amount of work pouring in. I wish I had a magic wand or a fairy godmother who could add a few more hours to my day! And it's just not my singing career that's picked up; my interior and jewellery designing work has progressed as well.
PRESSURE POINT With rising expectations, come a lot of challenges. It makes every day meaningful and I'm enjoying every minute! The bar has been raised. But I don't worry. I rehearse well and keep trying to do my best. Then, I simply leave it to the Almighty. A. R. Rahman and Augustine Paul have encouraged me to do better every time. Particularly with voice modulation.
FUTURE PROJECTS I'm not in a hurry to sign on the dotted line. You'll know when something concrete happens. But locally, there's a lot of work, including songs for Yuvan Shankar Raja.
PUBLIC ATTENTION Oh, my God! It makes me feel jittery. I feel I'm better off behind the scenes. It makes me smile when people in different countries come up and ask for an autograph or to take a picture with me. And I think, 'Tanvi is that you signing autographs?' I just like to take each day as it comes - being happy and keeping life simple.
