Young and talented
S. R. ASHOK KUMAR
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The `Kannanthil Muthamittal' song catapulted Chinmayi to fame and the latest laurel is the AIR award that she has won.
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Balancing music and studies was not a big issue because the former was top on my priority list.
Chinmayi.
Young singer Chinmayi made waves with her first film song for "Kannathil Muthamittal." The composer was A. R. Rahman. Spotted in a TV music show, Chinmayi won hearts with her voice that suited melancholy very well. She has gone on to sing about 150 songs in different South Indian languages and Tulu and Hindi (``Mangal Pandey"). Chinmayi has recently won a prize in the All India Radio competition this year in Hindustani music. Excerpts from an interview:
Did your interest in music start even as a child?
As an infant, I should say. According to my mother, she deliberately exposed me to music when she was pregnant.
When I was barely a year old, she says, she spotted the spark in me. I was keenly watching Bhimsen Joshi on TV and tried to repeat his alaap and tans. And during my mother's Sangit Alankar Exam at Delhi, when all the students were practising their pallavis, I could repeat all of them effortlessly with a pronounced lisping. When I was past four, and speech became fairly clear, teaching in earnest started. And it has continued.
What are the different genres of music that you have learnt?
I started with Carnatic music for which I got my CCRT scholarship from the Government of India. This is awarded to very young talents between the age of nine and twelve to help them pursue their training under a Guru. It continues till the age of eighteen. I opted fort Hindusthani when I was 12, thanks to Hariharanji. Now I understand the values of this wonderful form.
(Chinmayi won the All India First and the gold medal in the AIR competition, 2000. An interesting sidelight is that when she went to Jammu to perform for Jammu AIR and receive this award, Muslims of Kashmir refused to believe that she was a South Indian.)
How did you enter films?
The year 2000 was a significant one for me in so many ways. I won the AIR award that year. More important, I was called in by music director Rahman for a song test. I sang, ``Oru Deivam Thanda Poove." After five months, when I was preparing for my board exams in May, much to my thrill I was called to record the song in my own voice. I must thank Rahman and director Mani Ratnam for it.
Unforgettable events?
My meeting Rahman for the first time and later for "Kannathil Muthamittal" are etched in my mind. The "Kannathil Muthamittal" song fetched me several awards. I got the International Tamil Film Award for the best up-and-coming singer for that song. Another memorable occasion was when I sang the same song in the presence of our Chief Minister, J. Jayalalitha. When I opened the song the whole auditorium broke into applause and the Chief Minister joined with a smile. That made my day. Recently I was in Hyderabad to participate in the Richard Gere show for AIDS Awareness. Mother took me to Nookala Chinna Satyanarayanagaru. I sang and he was so moved by the nuances that he presented me a beautiful shawl. This I will cherish all my life.
How come you were able to manage academics and music?
Well, I never brought work home. I finished everything during breaks in school. I enjoyed all my subjects, biology in particular, social studies and languages.
When it was Plus Two time, mother and I had a talk. I made it clear that music was top in my priority list. I joined open school and did meditation to overcome Board exam stress. Thus balancing was not a big issue. I joined Max Muller Bhavan and completed six levels during this period. I also did my web-designing course. It was around this period my mother requested the late Krishnanandji in Chennai to teach me Hindusthani music. Then came Mr. Shoukat Ali, from whom I learnt ghazals.
Other interests?
I am pursuing my Masters in psychology and wish to do a doctorate in the subject. And I'm working on translations. I have started a company, Blue Elephant for translation services, in almost all languages and fields, from legal, IT, financial documents to subtitling.
Who is your best friend?
My mother. I owe everything to her. She has made so many sacrifices to groom me into a musician, without exposing me to the bitter and painful side of life. She has never compromised on values and that is something I have imbibed from her.
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Chennai and Tamil Nadu
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