Raghu Dixit’s latest album, Tsunami, celebrates love. Released in Hindi and Kannada, the first song in the seven-track album is dedicated to the love shared between humans and their pets. Raghu has composed, sung, recorded and produced the duet which also features actor Samyukta Hornad. The video, which has images of people from all over the country with their pets, was officially launched on YouTube on October 6.
“It is aimed at encouraging pet adoption,” says Raghu over the phone from his home in Malleshwaram in Bengaluru. “Samyukta is an animal activist. She has a page on Instagram called GundaGiri, dedicated to her pet, Gunda, who died seven years ago. While she dedicates this song to Gunda, I dedicate it to my pet Thunti, who left me in January this year. When we adopt pets, we give them a second chance at life and love. These beautiful souls will surely fill all our lives with unconditional and uncompromising love.”
The folk singer says his life changed when Thunti came into it. “I got her from the animal shelter, Lets Live Together, two years ago. I believe there was a purpose behind Thunti’s entry into my life. She came at a time when I didn’t want to live any more. I was depressed. She taught me how simple it is to be happy, to forgive, how not to not carry a baggage, how to live in the moment, that nothing else matters and all we need is an endless tsunami of love!”
Raghu says Samyukta has a great voice. “With training she can be a voice to reckon with in the music world.”
It was Samyukta’s idea to collect photographs of people with their pets, for the video, Raghu says. Of the 1,500 photographs they received, they managed to accommodate 100 in the video. The singer also credits his filmmaker-friend Samuel Adams for shooting at Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre in Bengaluru. The Hindi lyrics have been written by Neeraj Rajawat and Raghavendra V Kamath has written the Kannada lyrics. Raghu is currently busy composing music for Kannada films Ninna Sanihakke and Orchestra .
Perfect fit
Samyukta Hornad who started her film career with the Kannada film Lifeu Ishtene is also a singer. Though she has never ever sung in public she says at home she is forever singing with her mother and grandmother.
Being an animal activist, who passionately advocates animal adoption she seemed to be perfect choice for Raghu Dixit’s video. “When Raghu asked me to sing for Tsunami, I was apprehensive as I have had no training in singing at all,” she says. “When we met for the project, Raghu was kind enough to train me. I went through a few days of vocal training and then the song was recorded.”
She says she was overwhelmed with the response from pet lovers across the country. “Each person had to write two lines about their pets and send it with their pictures. We received images and stories featuring roosters, dogs, cows, ducks and parrots.”
Samyukta is happy that she got to explore her musical side with this project. On the film front she is looking forward to the release of the Tamil film Red Rum and the Kannada film Arishadvarga.
