Singer Anurag Kulkarni may have sung hundreds of songs in Telugu, but he has now, with his latest song, worked on his third track in Tamil cinema. And it’s a biggie: a song from Ajith’s upcoming film, Valimai, that’s titled Naanga Vera Maari. The reception the song has garnered (18 million views on YouTube so far) is unlike anything he has encountered before. “I’m feeling so blessed to have received such an opportunity in my career,” says Anurag.
Though the song itself has received mixed responses, the young singer shares that all the feedback that he has come across, has been only positive. “While the Telugu industry is welcoming of singers from other regions like Karthik and Haricharan, it’s hard to get an opportunity in the Tamil film industry. And to get a song like this…” trails away the singer who has worked with several Tamil composers like GV Prakash, Ghibran, and Sam CS on Telugu projects. Incidentally, Kartikeya, the hero of one of Anurag’s first major hit songs in Telugu (Pillaa Raa from RX 100), is also part of Valimai. “I knew he was a part of the film but never thought I would be too,” says Anurag, laughing. “I got a call from Yuvan sir’s office in March and was told that he wanted to test my voice for a song. I didn’t even bother to know what project the track was for; just a call from Yuvan sir was good enough. I just gave it a shot and hoped for the best.”
It was important for Anurag to understand the lyrics before singing. “Yuvan sir’s sound engineer Guru sir and vocal conductor Vasu sir, who works for Ilaiyaraaja sir, explained the emotions expected for the song. Yuvan sir, who joined us virtually for the recording, said he would listen to the recording and get back to me,” says the singer, who returned to Hyderabad not knowing whether his version would make it out. “A week ago, they wanted to know my full name, and when I enquired about the project, they said they couldn’t reveal it. Only when I was being tagged on online posts a few days back did I get to know that it was Ajith sir’s Valimai. I assume the secrecy was because of the magnitude of the project.” He was still concerned that people might criticise him for his Tamil pronunciation. “Playback singing is about conveying emotions and respecting literature. I tried to do this to the best of my ability.”
He may not be a regular singer in Tamil cinema but was well aware of Valimai. “Everybody in South India knows about this project. It’s a big deal to sing for Ajith sir,” says Anurag who is surprised by the song’s reception on social media. “During its premiere, almost 2.5 lakh people were watching it. My songs have reached many millions on YouTube over months, but what happened with Naanga Vera Maari was something else. It is now my most-watched song in a single day. I was aware of Ajith sir’s reach, but this reception was a surreal feeling.”
Anurag has also done many multilingual projects like Nadigaiyar Thilagam and has sung for dubbed Tamil film songs like Pilla Puli from Aakaasam Nee Haddhu Ra (Veyyon Silli from Soorarai Pottru). Interestingly, his first song in Tamil, Kavalayodam, from Thimiru Pudichavan happened when he met Vijay Antony for the film’s Telugu version. As the conversation veers towards the difference between the two industries from a playback singer’s perspective, Anurag says, “In Telugu, a hero song is to elevate their presence. In Tamil cinema though, the hero wants to be one among the people, even if he stands out. The best example is a line from Naanga Vera Maari that goes, ‘Vaazhu, vaazha vidu’. It’s nice to see Tamil actors take a realistic route.”
The Valimai song has naturally resulted in more opportunities for Anurag. “Those announcements will
be shared when the time is right. Right now, I just want to enjoy the success of Naanga Vera Maari.”