Shashaa Tirupati doesn’t want to forget the song that gave her the much-needed break. ‘Naan Yen Piranthen’ (Why was I born?), an A R Rahman composition in Tamil, for Coke Studio 2013, is her caller tune. “It has remained the same for the last six years,” she says. Her strong connect to the ethos of the song, and Rahman, made her retain it. Music buffs who’ve followed her work closely would recall that she was one of the chorus singers for ‘Naan Yen Piranthen’. Rahman then offered her a string of playback singing opportunities.
Cut to 2019 and Shashaa has a National Film Award and songs in 12 languages to her credit. She’s recently released her first independent single ‘String of Air’ and her Telugu song ‘Prapanchame Ala’ in Jersey , is a chartbuster.
Edited excerpts from an interview with the singer:
‘Prapanchame Ala’ in Jersey is a breezy number. What was your brief from composer Anirudh Ravichander?
Anirudh wanted me to sound like Shashaa (laughs); he wanted the song to be delicate and asked me to sing it with a sense of airiness and softness.
Many of your Telugu songs have been for films that have been dubbed from Tamil, particularly those composed by A R Rahman. For a singer, does an original or a dubbed film make a difference?
I want to be a part of original songs because the term ‘dubbed’ takes away from the effort we put in. Both Telugu and Tamil are foreign languages to me. After I sing in one language, I might remember the tune but not the lyrics. So when I take it up in another language, it’s as good as new.
You have Indo-Canadian roots but have managed to get close to the authentic pronunciation in Tamil and Telugu. What’s your method?
The only languages I can speak well are English, Hindi and Punjabi. I’ve had 25 to 30 hit songs in Tamizh (she emphasises on the sound ‘zh’). So I can understand a few common words. I was exposed to music in different Indian languages and genres while growing up, so I’m aware that I need to understand the essence of the words and the body language with which they have to be conveyed. A lot of credit goes to composers and lyricists. I can only take credit for grasping the nuances to get my diction right. Also, I find Telugu simple and straightforward to grasp.
Was any song challenging, in terms of lyrics?
The ‘Raasali’ (‘Chakori’ in Telugu) song from Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada ( Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo in Telugu). Thamarai (lyricist) ma’am is particular that every word is pronounced right. I had to sing a small stanza but a lot of words were packed in there. It took some time.
Among the 12 languages you’ve sung in, which was the toughest to crack?
Malayalam, hands down. For a particular song, Gopi Sundar made me sing a line 25 times. By the end of it, he had a lot of variations that he could play around with. As someone new to the language, I may not get all the nuances right. When a composer and a lyricist listens at the recording studio, they can point out minute variations. Just like the three variations of ‘la’ in Tamil, the ‘n’ variations in Malayalam need to be mastered. However, I must add that Malayalam film music today has some brilliant orchestration and melody.
‘String of Air’ seems to stem from a personal space. Tell us about the making of this single.
I was going through an emotional phase and a train of events led to the song. I took two weeks to write it. As public figures, we are vary of whom we let into our personal space. I wanted a song to express my feelings of letting my guard down and being myself, with a sense of naivety and hope. Initially, I had no plans of releasing it as a single. My friends suggested I should let the world hear this song. So it was produced, composed and shot within seven to eight hours; it was overnight insanity. Vishal Dadlani had nice things to say about the song and he shared it. I value his opinion a lot.
Is this the beginning for more independent songs?
Yes, there will be more. I’ve been writing music since I was 16 but hesitant to put it out. I am an introvert; writing and singing make me a free bird. In the next two months, there will be a duet with Mohan Kannan (of band Agnee) on the cards.
Your ‘Tunesday’ on Instagram has a huge following as well.
Tunesday is my way of highlighting some brilliant but lesser known compositions across languages, both old and new. I’ve picked up songs and rendered them my way and gradually listeners came up with suggestions. So I do a mix of both.
Did winning the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 2018 change anything about the way you work?
‘Vaan Varuvan’ (in Mani Ratnam’s Kaatru Veliyidai , dubbed as Cheliyaa in Telugu) has been very special. It was humbling to be recognised for it and the tag ‘national award singer’ has added to my profile. The award reinstated my sense of responsibility. I am indebted to Rahman.
