They are marquee names in the
Carnatic
music world, but now, vocal duo Ranjani-Gayatri have taken their first step in the world of films, by singing the song,
Unave Marundhu
, from the Santhanam-starrer
Server Sundaram
. The song, composed by Santhosh Narayanan, has lyrics by Vivek, and
Ranjani
and
Gayatri
share their experiences recording this classical number. Excerpts:
Why did it take so long for you to sing for a film? Were you apprehensive of taking up a film song?Not at all. We believe everything happens in its own time. Such a song had to come to make us enthused about singing a film song. The lyrics were extremely good, and talked about our traditional eating style, and how it has been formulated towards healthy eating. And Santhosh Narayanan's composition was in such a way that it could fit our style.We found that to be very special. We are both the same people. And we don't feel that we have sung any other genre but Carnatic music. Because the song is like that, and even the lines are meaningful, like what you would find in a Bharathiyar composition.
How did the offer come up?Santhosh Narayanan is our fan. He had listened to a lot of our music and loves them. He told us, `When the idea of the song came up, the first thing I thought was Ranjani and Gayatri singing the vocals.' He had even asked the lyricist, Vivek, to write the lines keeping in mind the two of us. Any apprehensions we had went away when we came to knew that the song was envisaged with us in mind. In Carnatic music, the lyrics come first and then the tune. The same way , here, lyricist Vivek wrote the lyrics first and then it was set to tune by composer Santhosh Narayanan. Usually , it is the other way around for film songs.
How different was recording a film song from singing at a concert?For us, there was no difference in singing playback, especially because this song is very similar to what we do for any Carnatic song. However, there is one main difference here. We don't sing a song immediately after listening to the lyrics and tune. We have a longer process of immersing ourselves in the music and internalising it. This is how we are able to interpret the song new every time we sing it. Here, we had to go to the studio, listen to the tune and the words and start singing.And this is a wordy song. In the sense that it doesn't use words commonly found in film songs, like uyire or unnai paarkaamal, which make it easier for the singer to improvise. This song has words that aren't often used in everyday conversation, and the words come at a rapid pace.And we had to stick to the composer's expectations when it came to the tune rather than interpret it in our own style, which is what we are used to.So, to a large extent, that was a departure for us. And Santhosh also let us do some impromptu stuff, like singing an aalaap or asking us to sing some swaras.So, the experience was more like singing a concert, as the recording was all done in just one take.
There are portions where just one of you is singing. Did you record your portions individually, singing just your lines?As we mentioned before, Santhosh had composed the song with us, and our styles in mind. He has listened to our concerts and recordings a lot, so he had in his mind how we ideally sing. Gayatri has sung the aalaap bit that comes at the beginning of the song and also the swara packages. As for the song, he had structured it such a way that we had to sing alternately and together, just like how we do in our concerts. We recorded the song together, singing it like was a piece we were performing.
Now that you have taken the first step, can we expect more film songs from you?As classical musicians, we have our own traditions and values, which we have imbibed from a very early age, and we believe in complete adherence to these values. That is why we cannot causally sing any random song.The song should reflect our values and should require us. If it's a song that anybody can sing, then you don't need a Ranjani-Gayatri, right? We are open to experimentations in cinema, but the song should go with any other musical venture that we do.
How has the feedback been, from both your peers and fans, especially since there are quite a few purists in the Carnatic music world?The feedback from the Carnatic music community has been very , very welcoming, both in terms of the lyrics and the music, and how it has been weaved in to bring out our styles. The reception from almost 99% of fans has been positive. But there is a small percentage who are purists, and once they came to know that we are singing for a film, they commented on our Facebook page in very anxious tones. Like, `Now, they have also joined the bandwagon of Carnatic singers who have turned playback singers' or `The last bastion has also fallen to the cinema buzz'. However, this was before the song was released. But after hearing the song, even these have turned encouraging and commented saying the words resonated with them and the music, too, made them feel like they were listening to a song of Ranjani-Gayatri. The nature of the song has certainly helped allay the fears of the odd anxious rasika.