For 17-year-old Trisha Macaden, who grew up watching shows like Austin and Ally and High School Musical on Disney Channel, getting the call that she would be acting in one was nothing short of a dream come true. “I remember having an initial state of shock. It took me a couple of hours to let it sink in,” she says, recalling the moment she heard that she would have a recurring supporting role in the musical comedy Electric Bloom as Shelly LeBrock. Being one half of a musical duo with her twin sister Tara, the two split their time between recording music in LA and living in Bengaluru. Recently, they regaled a crowd at The Bangalore Club with a mix of retro, jazz covers and original songs.
Looking back at her time on set, what sticks with Trisha the most is learning how the ‘Disney magic’ happens behind the camera. “It’s a complete change in perspective. I’ve always loved watching shows, but I got to understand how directors bring their magic and how writers work. After each scene, the cast would grab a bunch of snacks, sit near the set and talk about all the stuff we could have done differently – the props that went wrong and all the funny noises we made. It was fun to have that kind of closeness.” Tara adds, “I remember Trisha would come back and tell me, ‘Oh my god, I got to try on my costumes’ and things like that.”
Tara didn’t have to make peace with just hearing about it, though, as she soon got to make a surprise appearance in the ‘How We Defeated a Jingle Bell Bully’ episode, playing Trisha’s character, Shelly’s, cousin. “That week was incredible because at home, even though I’m the younger twin, I have a little bit of a bossy angle over Tara. But for her to take on that role and be the bigger diva than my character, was fun. Looking back, I just know that little Tara and Trisha would have had their jaws on the floor.”
This journey started early last year when the duo’s mom posted a video of their cover of Via Dolorosa, which ended up reaching a broadway music producer, getting them the opportunity to go to LA and record music. “Growing up in a musical household, we always loved singing and performing,” says Tara, adding, “But this process of working with professionals opened our eyes to the world of creating original songs.” Initially planning to record an upbeat track, the homesickness they were feeling gave their music a different turn, resulting in Slow Motion. “It was the day before our birthday and we had just found out that we’re going to be staying there a couple more months. It really hit us that we’d be moving away from school and our friends. We had decided to make something happy, but now, we had all these emotions and the lyrics just flowed out about leaving home,” shares Trisha.
The twins have been pursuing their music career while regularly posting covers on their popular Instagram page and juggling school during a crucial phase – 12th standard. When asked about what’s next, the duo say they want to take things one step at a time. “We definitely want to pursue music and acting, but the biggest thing we’ve realised is that the journey is the destination. It’s exciting to stay in that realm of enjoying the ride and taking each opportunity as it comes,” says Trisha. Tara adds that right now, exams are all that’s on their mind. While summer vacations are on for their peers, the duo is set to sit their exams this month, having finished their studies through open schooling.