Many years ago, when architect-musician Shakthisree Gopalan got an opportunity to design AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory, she couldn’t have known that he would, in turn, design her big playback singing break through the melody, Nenjukkulle in Kadal (2012).
Since then, Shakthisree and Rahman have worked on many memorable songs, including their latest collaboration, ‘Aga Naga’ for Ponniyin Selvan. “I think AR Rahman sir’s Kun Faya Kun and Naan Yen (Coke Studio song) are songs that capture my emotions about this journey so far. Every opportunity to sing in AR Rahman sir’s music has been a dream come true.”
Shakthisree has also sung the Telugu and Malayalam versions of Aga Naga, and recalls the hype generated after the song briefly echoed in the first part of Ponniyin Selvan. In fact, the Tamil version of Aga Naga was the first song she recorded after the lockdown rules got relaxed in 2020.
“Then, the studio reached out to me to schedule the recording of the one-minute excerpt [Aga Naga] for all five languages. I didn’t know where it was going to be used till I watched PS1 in the theatres. My heart skipped a beat when Rahman sir used it during the iconic meeting between Vanthiyathevan and Kundhavai,” she shares.
Be it the one-minute excerpt or the four-minute full version, Shakthisree has been at the receiving end of a lot of love and warmth, and she expresses her heartfelt gratitude to Rahman for giving her such an opportunity.
“I am speechless. I am truly grateful for all the love, support and good vibes that so many have shared,” says Shakthi, who strongly believes that her work as a playback singer is enhanced by her ability to put herself in the character’s shoes to understand how they would react to a particular situation. “When I heard the song for the first time in the studio, the melody felt like the flow of a river.
The magic and the spirit of the song were already woven into the composition and there is a sense of royalty in the melody, the arrangement, the orchestration, the metering of the words and every other element. Approaching the song knowing that it was from the POV of Kundhavai, a Chola Princess, certainly influenced my approach and rendition,” she shares.
While Rahman was definitely her calling card in cinema, Shakthisree has sung hit numbers for a lot of other composers, and she notes that each of them provided her with a new learning experience.
“It is nice to have a new way of thinking about an old idea. The approach is what differs, and matters too. You can always figure out techniques, pick up new tools and spend time perfecting your craft, and being vulnerable enough to accept new perspectives results in paradigm shifts in growth,” says Shakthisree, who pursued her higher education at Berklee College of Music after becoming a noted playback singer.
“It has been amazing to try out ideas in an environment where you are encouraged to make mistakes.”
Since 2007, Shakthisree has been writing and performing originals, including Phir Wahin, Cycle Gap, and Nee Podhumey, and is slowly but steadily carving a niche for herself in the indie music space as well.
When asked what serves as inspiration for her compositions, Shakthisree says, “Sometimes, I fantasise that the songs we make already exist somewhere in the ether waiting to be born. The song could be just a word, or it could be a concept or a melodic hook. It could even be just a particular sound. There is a defining moment when you realise there is a song waiting to be made. From then on, it is all about realising it and seeing it through to completion. I feel that learning to recognise that moment of inspiration or having that emotional awareness where a word or a sound moves me and makes me feel... That’s where the song’s genesis is,” explains Shakthi.
There is something liberating about conjuring up one’s creation, and it must be multifold for someone as multifaceted as Shakthisree, a singer, songwriter, and composer. “It can be really cathartic if I go through the process allowing myself to be as honest as I can,” says a rather philosophical Shakthisree, who feels it is also a really emotional process as putting out any piece of art involves metabolising, processing and navigating that creative spark through life events, experiences, and memories. “At the end of the day, it is awesome to be able to use music to bridge the gap between emotion and expression.”
Shakthisree’s thoughts speak of the importance of honesty in music. In fact, she asserts that it is this quest that ushers her into taking her musical journey forward.
“It has certainly not been easy. But the journey of allowing myself to be vulnerable has been a journey of healing. And I’m grateful for the growth,” signs off Shakthisree, sounding in many ways like the lilting Aga Naga number that fades off like the Ponni river.