Life has come a full circle for Dr
Shobana Vignesh. The singer-composer, best remembered for her role as Kamal Haasan’s daughter in
Mahanadi
, recently launched a video of one of the songs from her album, Vishnumaya. Interestingly, the number —
Vaishnavo Janato
— was shot by ace cinematographer MS
Prabhu, who worked on Mahanadi!
An excited Shobana, who launched the number on Gandhi Jayanti on Jaya TV, says, “Vishnumaya comprises songs in various languages — a Marathi abhang, a Tamil paattu, a Sanskrit sholka and Vaishnavo Janato in Gujarati among others. I’ve read that this song featured in Gandhiji’s daily prayer rituals. Since this has a soothing effect, my team and I decided to do a video cover for it. We shot at Gandhi Mandapam; with a memorial for Gandhiji and other beautiful sculptures, it was apt. I’ve grown up in Chennai and this was the first time that I actually got to admire the aesthetically constructed mandapam.”
Interestingly, Shobana is facing the camera after almost 24 years. She says, “Incidentally, I met Prabhu uncle a few weeks ago. He was the one who first heard me sing when I was a child and recommended my name to Kamal sir. That’s how I sang
Sri Ranga Ranganathanin
in the film. When I asked him if he could recommend a technician to shoot the song video, he said he would do it himself. It felt so good to work with him again after so many years; I remembered shooting Sri
Ranga Ranganathanin
in the temple amidst beautiful sculptures and this was such a déjà vu for me. There were more than 23 technicians involved in the making of the video and I’m happy it’s got good traction.”