CHENNAI: “Adho andha paravai pola vazha vendum… Idho indha alaigal pola vazha vendum… Oree vaanile, ore mannile, ore geetham urimai geetham paaduvom.”
The old MGR anthem drifts through the rehearsal room before anyone settles into place. Someone follows it with an SP Balasubrahmanyam favourite. Another quickly protests that it should be an Ilaiyaraaja song instead. Laughter breaks out. The microphone changes hands without ceremony, and before long two voices become three. Nobody is waiting for rehearsal to officially begin.
At Chennai’s Samagratha Foundation, rehearsals rarely follow a script. Songs are interrupted by conversations, old film trivia, applause and the occasional friendly disagreement over what should come next. The singers know one another’s favourite numbers by heart and are quick to join in whenever someone misses a line.
For now, it is simply a room where music comes naturally, and where the singers are known less by their diagnoses than by the voices they bring. Only later does the rehearsal become a concert in preparation.
That was exactly the vision playback singers Vinod Venugopal and Reshmi had when they founded Samagratha. The idea first took shape in 2017 when they met an autistic contestant while judging a television reality show. Conversations with the boy and his parents revealed the challenges many families navigate. “We talk about autism so often, but we don’t really understand what a family goes through,” he says. “As we met more families, we realised there was so much talent among these children.”
One question stayed with him: why were these youngsters invited to perform, yet rarely paid for their art? “They deserve payment. They are as good as any professional singer,” he says. That belief led to the formation of an inclusive orchestra in 2019, which evolved into the Samagratha Foundation in 2025. Today, its musicians perform at corporate events, cultural programmes, and public concerts alongside playback singers and professional instrumentalists.
At the heart of the foundation is a seven-member ensemble – Priyan, Pradthyunn, Ashwath, Sapna, Sanjana, Sugeetha, and Karthick – each bringing a unique voice to the stage. Sanjana is quiet off-stage but confident behind the microphone. “What impressed me most was that they never looked at our children with pity,” says Sanjana’s mother.
Nandhini raised her son Priyan largely on her own after his father refused to accept his autism diagnosis. Today, the foundation supports both his education and his musical journey.
Reshmi, who trains the singers, says the training isn’t challenging at all. The singers learn stage etiquette, microphone handling and audience interaction. Pointing to Sapna, she adds, “She knows nearly 3,000 songs by heart. Give these singers any microphone and they will do their job.”
Vinod fondly recalls one memorable concert during an SPB tribute show, where SPB Charan, son of the late veteran singer, was the celebrity singer for the evening. As Sapna was singing a duet with another performer, Charan, moved by the way she sang, came to the stage and sang along with her.
Behind the laughter lies a larger mission. Families often spend thousands of rupees on travel, costumes and accommodation for performances that offer little more than applause. Samagratha wants to change that by ensuring its musicians are paid from concert revenue, proving that music can be both a passion and a profession. The foundation sustains itself through donations, ticketed shows, corporate shows, alumni reunions, and performances at weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.
Reshmi believes society also has a part to play. “People tell us after concerts that these singers are good enough to perform professionally. But when they organise weddings or family functions, they rarely think of inviting them,” she says.
The foundation has carried its message beyond concert halls through its MIC (Music, Inclusion and Compassion) series, taking free performances to schools, residential communities and public institutions. Its next production, Kaatril Undhan Geetham, a tribute to legendary playback singer S Janaki, will be staged at Vani Mahal on August 9.
Back in the rehearsal room, however, the focus is on the next song rather than the next concert.
As the session draws to a close, nobody seems eager to leave. Someone starts humming a familiar tune. Another voice joins in, then another, until the room is singing again. There is no cue, no applause and no audience, only a group of musicians enjoying one another’s company.
For performance bookings, collaborations or to support the Samagratha Foundation, contact 63817 88551.
(Edited by Dinesh Jefferson E)