"I am known as Mahalukhimi in Assam and Mahalokhi in Calcutta. I have
heard stories where they have asked people that when did this Assam native move
to Bombay?" Mahalaxmi Iyer By IndiaFM News Bureau, March 14, 2007 - 05:14
IST
She sings in more than five regional languages and she is already taking
the playback world by storm! The sweet voice behind Rani Mukherjis Chupke Se
in Bunty Aur Babli is the talented Mahalaxmi Iyer. Read on, as a sugary-voiced
Mahalaxmi relates to IndiaFM on how she went on to becoming one of Bollywoods
hottest playback singers.
Your first song was Aye Ajnabi from Dil Se, where you have sung the opening
interlude and perhaps werent credited for the song
I was. All the CDs and tapes have my name on it. It is a small part (Pakhee
pakhee pardesi
) and doesnt appear in the film as a complete song. It comes in
as little bits in the film.
How did you feel like starting off your career with a composer like A. R.
Rahman?
Actually, fortunately for me in the same week, I had also recorded with
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for Mukul Anands Dus. That was their debut film and mine as
well. So I had a wonderful debut, working with two of the greatest composers
a trio and of course a maestro like Rahman. It was wonderful working with
Rahman because he is very spontaneous and a very candid kind of music director.
He allows you to do many things and also accepts your candid takes also, and
then tries and puts them in the song. For a lot of takes that I had done during
this song and many other songs I had sung, there have been these candid takes
which I have sung on the mike, and Rahman has used them in the song somewhere.
I made my debut recording for A.R.Rahman and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in the
same week. And you have been a regular with A. R. Rahman and
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Is it just the voice texture or also the working
relationship that that they have you sing their songs so often?
I think its a bit of both. Voice definitely matters because I think every
music director wants a good voice and a good talent. But now-a-days I wont say
that voice is really the criterion for playback singing. A different kind of
voice and a different kind of singing ability is also being appreciated.
Earlier the regular voices were either the Lataji kind or the Ashaji kind.
Latajis voice was sweet and soulful, whereas Ashajis songs were sensuous,
tending towards more of masti and mischievous songs. But in the recent past I
think new voices have come in from all these music directors. Rahman has to his
credit launched many-a-voices which otherwise would have been unknown. And
working relationship especially with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy has been brilliant
because my association with them goes back a long time ago. With Rahmanji, as
people know he is not much of a conversationalist. But I remember having a lot
of chatter with him while recording songs. So it helps if the
working relationship is also very good because there is no stress or tension
while doing the song.
Now-a-days I wont say that voice is really the criterion for playback
singing. How has the journey been so far?
The journey has been wonderful. I have been extremely fortunate because I have
worked with some of the best music directors some of the biggest, and also
some of the youngest, who are very talented. I have also been fortunate to have
sung for big films like Dus for Mukul Anand, Dil Se for Mani Ratnam, and then I
did Mission Kashmir for Vidhu Vinod Chopra. I have sung for a film called Rahul
and Yaadein for Subhash Ghai. In the recent past, I have sung for all of Yash
Rajs biggest films like Fanaa, Bunty Aur Babli and Dhoom. So it has been a
great journey so far.
A.R.Rahman is not much of a conversationalist. But I remember having a
lot of chatter with him while recording songs. Do you feel the need to modify
your voice, as per the personality of the actor you are lending your voice to?
If you know who is playing the lead role, rather, the character in that
particular song, it does help because then you get to intonate and modulate
your voice accordingly, as much as you can. It is not possible to completely
match the voice of the actor or the actors on-screen persona. There are very
few voices that can do so
Helen and Asha Bhonsale is one such example. But I
think more than the actor, you sing for the character that the particular
person is playing. So it is like singing a very sweet, mellow song for a shy
girl, take for instance Rani Mukherji in Bunty Aur Babli. Although she is a
very bindaas character, when she is just-married there is a hint of shyness in
her, so that we tried to bring across in the song Chup Chup Ke. When we did Aaj
Ki Raat for Farhan Akhtars Don, we knew that both the girls Priyanka and Isha
played ultra-modern mafia girls. So we tried to bring about a little more
sensuality because they played the carefree type of girls. So we try
to modulate our voice according to the actor playing the role. But many times
it is not possible because by the time the film is made, the actors change.
We try to modulate our voice according to the actor playing the role.
But many times it is not possible because by the time the film is made, the
actors change. Did you take any formal training in singing?
I am a trained Hindustani classical vocalist. I have learned Hindustani
classical music for about six-seven years.
Is Gayatri Iyer your sister?
She is not at all my sister; we are not even remotely related. Iyer is the
common ground between us but we are not related. However, she is my very good
friend.
My diction is as perfect as it can be. Do you come from a musical
family?
Yes. My mother is a wonderful Karnataka classical singer. I think my sisters
and I have got this gift of music because of her. I have three older sisters
Arpana, Padmini and Shobha. Padmini and I are the only ones who are taking
music seriously. We always wanted to pursue it professionally so we are doing
that. We are still students and still learning and hopefully we will be able to
achieve whatever we have thought of.
So have you sung any commercial songs with Padmini?
Not in films, no. But we have done a lot of jingles together, a lot of
television too.
In how many languages have you sung?
I have sung in many Indian languages. I have sung for a lot of feature films in
Assamese, in Bengali, in Oriya. I have sung nearly six-hundred songs in
Assamese language. I am known as Mahalukhimi there, and in Calcutta, its
Mahalokhi. I am considered as a native in Assam, and I have heard stories where
they have asked people that when did she move to Bombay? So apparently, my
diction is as perfect as it can be. Ive also done Gujarati and Marathi films.
I have won awards in Gujarati and Marathi. I have won the Alpha award for Best
Playback for a film called Adhar. I have won the Maharashtra Kala Niketan award
for a film called Suna Yeti Gharaat. I have also won an award for a Gujarati
film. I have sung a lot of Marathi and Gujarati titles for television.
I am known as Mahalukhimi in Assam and Mahalokhi in Calcutta. I have
heard stories where they have asked people that when did this Assam native move
to Bombay? Youve done so much! When did you start singing?
My first foray into singing was doing ad jingles, which I started in the year
1993. By 1995 I was firmly entrenched into singing and thats when I became a
professional singer you could say. In the year 1995 I started doing a lot more
ad films and serials and media was just beginning to open up. A lot of channels
came about so a lot of television serials happened at that time. Around
1997-98, I got my break with Dil Se and Dus.
How important are awards to you, as compared with recognition?
Awards are just another way of getting recognized. I think if I may say so, I
am already recognized as a singer. But I think an award will only add a feather
in my cap. I think awards are another way to inspire myself to do better. Since
the best in the country are judging you, then you want to give your best every
time. Its a motivation, definitely. So I am neither for it nor against it. So
if I win an award today I will be very happy because it will be like a pat on
my back.
Awards are just another way of getting recognized. Who would you say is
your favourite singer in Bollywood?
Since childhood Lata Mangeshkar has always been an inspiration. Listening to
her perfection and divinity that she brings in her singing has always inspired
me. But I must add that after I became a singer, the contribution of Ashaji has
greatly inspired me, because when you are a playback singer, you realize how
important it is to be versatile. So I would say that these two prima donnas
have had a fantastic contribution. It is very difficult to choose between them.
Since childhood Lata Mangeshkar has always been an inspiration. But
after I became a singer, Ashaji greatly inspired me, because you realize how
important it is to be versatile for a playback singer. What do you think of
Himesh Reshammiya as a singer and composer?
Himesh is a wonderful composer. Unfortunately the trend of the Indian film
industry is such that if something works, people like to milk it till it is
dead. I think that is what has happened with Himeshs music. There is a very
play-safe attitude in the industry. So if anyone says lets try something else,
people say no, lets not. So I think somewhere he is stuck in that. But I must
say that he has given some good songs in his earlier films. I have sung for him
and I do know that he is capable of doing very different music as well.
If something works, people like to milk it till it is dead. I think
that is what has happened with Himeshs music. Which song have you sung for
him?
I have sung in a film called Chura Liya Hai Tumney.
You have already worked with many established music directors now. Anyone else
youd like to work with in the future?
My wish-list right now includes Vishal Bhardwaj because I had worked with
Vishal in a lot of ad films when he had come down from Delhi. But somewhere he
got lost for sometime and then got into direction. After that I have not been
able to get in touch with him. So my wish-list includes him. There is also a
new music director called Mithoon. I am highly impressed with his work and I
have heard a few songs that he has done
I think he is brilliant. I think the
new lot that has come is really showing good potential. And also I believe
Monty Sharma who has done Saawariya for Sanjay Leela Bhansali has done some
amazing work. So if I hear anything new and exciting, I am dying to hear that
and then work with that person because obviously as an artist Id like to see
what I can do with a new music director.
Three songs of yours which are favourites
Kabhi Shaam Dhale, is my favourite because it was my first challenging song.
Such songs are kept aside for the established singers. Then I would say Chup
Chup Ke, because it got me a lot of recognition. I got the tag of a very
capable singer. And finally I would choose Aaj Ki Raat because it has given me
mass popularity.
What are your upcoming projects?
There are lots of them, but the one I am really looking forward to is Jhoom
Barabar Jhoom where I am doing an item-number song and a romantic song, so it
was like two different styles of singing for me in one film. There is a
beautiful song in a film called Kabhi Up Kabhi Down which is more like parallel
cinema. Then there are movies like Tara Rum Pum, and Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi
which is just releasing. And I am also doing a very nice song in Just Married.
So there are a lot of projects but I am hoping that one of them could become a
big hit.
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