Sometimes, all we need is love.
That’s what singer Shakthisree Gopalan realised during the pandemic-induced lockdown. “Often, when we are in the momentum of things, we do not pay attention to how certain people make us feel. During lockdown, all we wanted was people we care for to be safe and fine,” she recalls.
Born out of the realisation that loved ones are all we need was ‘Nee Podhumey’, a song about love, warmth, trust and togetherness. “It is about two people discovering what they feel about each other,” says the singer, who has worked with musician Akshay Yesodharan on the track that has country and folk influences, infused with live strings. “To feel loved by someone you love is overwhelming; that’s what this is about.”
The singer burst into the scene with ‘Nenjukulle’ from Mani Ratnam’s Kadalnine years ago, and has, since then, worked with most of the leading composers in the film industry. The track premiered through a live performance in MTV Unplugged, and later, when it released, became a sensation. “Growing up with AR Rahman sir in the ‘90s, it has been a huge dream to meet and sing with him someday. Even the words ‘dream come true’ might not do enough justice to the overwhelming support I got from that track. It’s magical how one song connected with so many people,” she recalls.
Following this, more composers tracked her down for offers — her collaborations with Anirudh (the recent ‘Rendu Kadhal’), GV Prakash (‘Angnyaade’) and Santhosh Narayanan (‘Naan Nee’) are popular among listeners — but one other song that many connected with was Rahman’s ‘Enga Pona Rasa’ from Dhanush-starrer Maryan . The making-of-the-song video, on YouTube, gave fans a glimpse to the process behind its composition. That song remains special to Shakthishree. “Bharathbala (director) gave me a very different brief for the song. He said, ‘The song is like walking barefoot on beach sand.’ It was a huge starting point to picture it, and the big challenge was to convey that musically.”
‘Nee Podhumey’ marks her return to the independent music scene to which she is no stranger; Shakthisree was formerly the lead vocalist and songwriter of Chennai-based bands, Off The Record and The Pyjama Conspiracy. “I was also recording my own music on ReverbNation, the place for all Indian independent artists, then. From then to now, it has been such a rapid shift in the way we consume music,” says Shakthishree, who is also an architect and specialises in designing creative spaces.
‘Nee Podhumey’ is available on major music platforms. The music video will be out on February 26.
