Divya S. Menon is ecstatic that 2016 has started on a high note for her. Her song ‘Vaarthinkal’ in Kali is garnering appreciation and Divya is over the moon. “Many told me that the song is addictive. That’s a huge compliment,” says Divya. She adds with glee: “I am so happy that I have sung in two of Dulquer Salmaan’s releases of 2015, 100 Days of Love and Charlie and now his first release of 2016!”.
Divya’s claim to fame has been the peppy number, ‘Thudakkam mangalyam’, from Bangalore Days, which she sang with Vijay Yesudas and Sachin Warrier. Though she hasn’t been prolific, her dulcet voice has rarely gone unnoticed, be it in Ivan Maryadaraman, 100 Days of Love, Charlie or Malgudi Days .
She credits her high notes to being at the right place at the right time with the right people. “Things just fell into place. I came as a contestant for the show Ganamela on WE channel. It was a platform for new singers. But eventually I became the host of the show, with my experience in anchoring a show on ACV coming handy. Shaan Rahman took notice of my singing on the show and offered me the songs in his album, Coffee@MG Road . When he made his debut in films with Ee Pattanathil Bhootham , he made me part of a group song. Later he gave me my first solo, ‘Anuraagam’ in Thattathin Marayathu, ” says Divya.
Bangalore Days gave her the big break and she owes it all to its composer, Gopi Sunder, whom she calls her mentor. She has since sung for Gopi in films such as God’s Own Country , Ivan Maryada Raman , Jamna Pyari , Charlie , Bangalore Naatkal (Tamil remake of Bangalore Days ), Kali , a couple of Telugu movies and a forthcoming Tamil flick, Ennul Aayiram . “Actually there has been no looking back for me ever since I started working with him. He has encouraged me a lot and has always given me songs that suit my voice. I have sung 15 songs for him,” says Divya.
She is quick to add that it is not just Gopi, but many composers promote the voices they like.
For this post graduate in fashion designing, music has been a part of her life since childhood. “I started learning music from Shakunthala Seshadri while in Chennai. But there were a lot of breaks in my music learning. Owing to my father’s transferable job, I could never stick to one teacher. Nevertheless, classical music has given me a good base,” says Divya, who was quite serious about fashion designing before music became her priority. “I used to design clothes for my friends and family. I tried my hand at jewellery designing as well. But there came a point when I understood that I could not balance music and fashion designing and opted for music,” she adds.
A huge fan of K.S. Chithra, Divya can’t wait to share a stage with her. And she is like her idol when it comes to performing on stage.
“I belong to the old school, perhaps. I am not a performer. I love dancing, but I can’t dance and sing at the same time,” she says.
Right now, the 29-year-old wife and mother plays a balancing act. She stays at Tripunithura with husband, Reghu Mohan, and daughter, Rudra.
She is thankful that her songs have been appreciated. “The industry is very unpredictable. You never know whether your song would be heard in the film until it comes out. Also, there is stiff competition with many talented singers making their mark. But I have had my share of success,” she agrees.
