Awards galore
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Sujatha's evergreen voice has retained the magic that endeared her to lovers of music when she made her debut as a child artiste.
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SUJATHA WAS chosen the best playback singer recently by four organisations that announced their awards for Malayalam films. The Film Critics' Award went to her for the film `Thudakkam' and that was just a beginning. Over the past few weeks, she bagged the Vanitha award and the Mathrubhoomi Award for `Kallai Kadavathu' in `Perumazhakkalam' and the Asianet award for `Kandu Kandu' in `Mambazhakkalam.'
Three decades in the limelight as a playback singer and stage performer has not changed her and she still remains the unassuming, cordial Sujatha on and off the limelight. So, not surprisingly, the four successive awards have not swept her off her feet.
Malayalis and melody
"I am happy that all the awards, which were selected through popular polls, have come for melodies. This confirms our belief that Malayali still prefer melody," she says.
She won the Kerala State award in 1997 for `Pranayamanithooval' (`Azhakiya Ravanan') and in 1999 for `Varamanjal' (`Pranayavarnangal'). She bagged the Tamil Nadu State award for the years 1993, 1996 and 2001. However, a National Award has so far eluded her. She is quite philosophical about it, "I have missed it narrowly in some years. Moreover, some films with good songs are not entered for the National Awards every year. This is part of the game. If I am destined, I will get it one day."
"I have been singing in lots of Malayalam films over the last five years and I have had lots of hits. There have been many truly satisfying numbers too. I have no complaints," she says with a smile. Have there been some good numbers that did not catch the attention of music fans?
"Yes. Some examples are `Devaa' from `Varunnu Vannu,' `Pullikkuyile' (`Anyar') and `Kuyil Pattil' from `Aparichithan.' But these songs gave me a great deal of satisfaction."
Although she prefers melodies to fast numbers, she is equally adept at rendering fast numbers and romantic songs. This versatility reminds you of Asha Bhonsle. Sujatha says, "I am a great fan of Ashaji. I adore her ability to convey the exact shade of expression for various kinds of songs."
But she hastens to add that she has not modelled herself on any singer.
She wistfully recollected the late composer Raveendran's phone conversation with her two days before his death. He had promised to give her some good songs and appreciated her "ability to retain the freshness and youthfulness" in her voice.
Debut
Thirty years ago, she recorded her first film song for the film `Tourist Bungalow' under the baton of M.K. Arjunan. She sang in many Malayalam and Tamil films in the late Seventies for composers like Shyam, Salil Chowdhury and Ilayaraja among others.
"But I consider this period only as a teenage adventure. I was not very serious about music then" says the singer. She got married in 1981 and then took a sabbatical. She made a comeback through Priyadarsan's `Kadathanadan Ambadi.' Her songs in `Chitram' (1988) put her back in the limelight. "Then I made my comeback in Tamil films through `Puthuvellai Mazhai' in A.R. Rahman's debut film `Roja' in 1992. Thereafter, I have been singing regularly in Tamil and Telugu films for all the leading music directors.
I consider only the post-1988 phase as my real playback career." She has sung in some Hindi movies also. These include `Vishwa Vidhaata,' `Taal' and `Pukar,' all under Rahman and the recent `Hulchul' under the baton of Vidyasagar.
PRAKASH PARAYATH
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