Music is the food of love: Shruti

She’s not just another pretty face in the crowd. Well, pretty she is, but when it comes to Shruti Haasan, there’s much more to her than the obvious good looks and illustrious lineage.
As passionate as she is about movies, music, she says, is one of her biggest obsessions. “Music is the food of love, life and all things beautiful,” starts off Shruti. “I am really excited to be performing in the city after a long time and honestly, I think music has shaped me into the person that I am today.”
While she may have her hands full at the moment shooting for a Telugu film with Siddharth, she says she will always find time for her first love. And though she started off with the Extramentals, Shruti will be performing with the Live Martini band this time around. So, was it a conscious decision to not play with her former band? “Of course not. I had the time of my life touring and performing with the Extramentals. But as a musician, you should also be open to collaborating with new artistes. It helps you learn and absorb so much as you are constantly playing off each other,” she says.
Tell her that live gigs by the city’s best musicians are what are grabbing the eyeballs and she flashes her dimpled smile. “It’s such a blessing that live acts are being lapped up in the city. Though it is a bit late in the day, it’s still such a welcome change. We have talented musicians and these live performances give them a platform to showcase their talent.”
However, there are a few challenges that still need to be overcome, says Shruti. While she agrees that the opportunities are increasing, she says that there should be more venues to showcase such events and people should become more aware of the importance of acoustics and a good sound system. Another trend that excites her is the emergence of vernacular rock. “In the recent past, I have listened to some mind-blowing numbers by vernacular rock bands. It’s so amazing to see our native languages being celebrated and revered. I would love to sing a vernacular rock song. The success of these bands just goes on to prove that music transcends all language barriers,” she says. So, does she want to collaborate with any particular musician? “Yeah. I’d love to work with Amit Trivedi. I think he is immensely talented and I loved his music in Dev D.”
An accomplished pianist, Shruti says that she has been most influenced by musicians like Bob Marley, Tori Amos, The Beatles and Bob Dylan. She goes on to add, “I grew up listening to these artistes and this will be reflected in my gig tomorrow. We will be performing a very chilled out, mellow set and take my word for it, the acoustics will shine through.”
Finally, ask her if daddy dearest will come with family in tow to support her and she concludes with a laugh, “I have no clue. You should ask him that. I want him to come see Shruti the musician and artiste, and not Shruti, his daughter. I want the music to speak for itself.”