“I am relieved. It seems as if a long wait has ended. ” Rarely would you equal happiness with relief. But when Ravishankar says so, you aren’t surprised. Here is one talented singer from whom many opportunities were snatched away. Such has been the fate of many talents in the industry, some stay on waiting for the big break and some wither away. Ravi chose to believe, ‘There is a time for everything’.
Kudos to the patience and perseverance of this man who first sang for a movie in 1999 (‘Saphalyam’), but the songs which he sang later, never came out. And some 12 years down the lane, ‘Manikyakkallu’ was waiting for him.
His duet song from the movie ‘Chembarathi kammalittu...’ with Shreya Ghosal, picturised on Prithviraj and Samvritha Sunil, has made it to the top of the charts. M Jayachandran, who composed the song and is known for launching and encouraging many new voices, has known Ravi for many years.
“He said, let’s give it a try. I recorded the song without any strain. Many told me that I haven’t imitated anyone and that there is a touch of love in my voice. Some even complimented that my voice suited Prithviraj a lot. Altogether, it feels so nice to get recognised,” says the singer, who has been anchoring the music show ‘Raindrops’ on Kairali TV for some seven years now (on Fridays, from 4 PM to 5 PM).
A musical background has held him in good stead. “It was my mother (Hamsini) who taught me the first light song. When I was in school, my ultimate aim was to win a first prize in light music at the University Youth Festival,” he shares with a smile.
And he did win, in 1997 and 98 at the Kerala University Youth Festival. He has taken training in music from Vaikundapathi and then Perumbavur G Ravindranath. MG Radhakrishnan, who gave him his first film song, too has been a guide to him. “After I won first prize in light music at the Inter-University competition, Kireedam Unni, a relative, gave me the chance to sing in 'Saphalyam’ which he produced.”
A student of Government Arts College and then of Law Academy, initially Ravishankar was not sure whether he would take up playback singing as a profession. “I am from a family which has doctors, engineers and government servants. You can say I am the only who went ‘astray’,” he says, breaking into a laughter.
He couldn’t keep himself away from singing.
Though film industry was not that kind to him, Ravi has had much to cheer about in the form of scores of music albums, especially devotional ones. And he considers himself lucky enough to have sung with the legendary SP Balasubramaniam in a Tamil album. He has sung devotional songs in Telugu (Lord Ayyappa songs) and title tracks of nearly seven Malayalam television serials as well.
And he cherishes some relationships and acquaintances to the core. Like those with late MG Radhakrishnan, late Bharanikkavu Sivakumar, Perumbavur Ravindranath, Poovachal Khader, M K Arjunan, Sreekumaran Thampy and S P Venkitesh. “I have made many trips to Chennai for the recordings. But those songs never came out, of course, owing to many reasons. When I felt exhausted after failing to get a break, a renowned composer told me, ‘Treat this as your probation period. You will be a victim of many dirty games. Just let things take its own course and be ready to tackle such games at any stage’,” Ravi shares.
And one name he holds close to his heart is that of legendary G Devarajan. “After hearing my songs, one day he called me to his home. He then made me sit near him and sang his songs for me. I can never forget those moments,” Ravi says.
A hardcore fan of Yesudas and Mohammed Rafi, Ravishankar stresses that he is never a ‘performer’ on stage, given the new meaning the term has taken during these days.
“When you look at Das Sir, Janaki Amma, Chitrachechi or Sujatha chechi, they never dance while singing. When they sing, their voice is enough to hold your attention. They are the ones whom we adore. For a singer, performance means singing. Now, the word has taken different dimensions, especially against the backdrop of music reality shows. You have to fill in the shoes of a singer, of a dancer etc etc,” he says, adding, “Actually, I have a lot to say about reality shows. But, if I say it all, it will definitely invite controversy.”
He would soon be heard in a couple of works. A native of Thiruvananthapuram, Ravishankar is married to Priya, and the couple has a daughter, 4-year-old Bhadra.