When James Vasanthan was looking for youngsters to be cast in his film — a musical titled Vaanavil Vaazhkai — he chanced upon Janani Rajan. She could act and sing — she’s been learning Carnatic music since she was six — and was interested.
“They were basically looking for a female lead, who could sing and act as well. Formal auditions were held and I got selected,” recalls this MOP Vaishnav graduate.
Shooting for the film, which released last week, was a memorable experience for her. “I’ve never acted in a movie or short film before this,” she says, “So, it felt like a dream. The shooting experience was amazing; there were times when it was tedious, but it was all part of the learning.” Even after the shoot sessions, the team wouldn’t let go of their music. “We would continue jamming and rapping, and rehearsing,” says Janani, who has sung four solo numbers, as well as a few lines in the rest of the songs.
The other big challenge was to bring out the ‘soul’ in every song. Most of the numbers in the film were in the western genre, and her Carnatic background didn’t help much while crooning those. “I undertook western music training under playback singer Ramya NSK to get the style right,” she reveals.
Going forward, she’s likely to pursue music as a profession. “I’ve been getting acting offers too, but would like to take up films that offer meaningful roles,” she signs off.
