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Life turns lyrical

Actor Sukanya now wields the baton. S. R. ASHOK KUMAR on her debut album "Azhagu"

There's simply no stopping Sukanya. After a successful stint in films (She has done over 80 in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam), the actress, who turned to television for another triumphant innings is now focussed on music. Sukanya recently launched her debut album, "Azhagu," for which she has not only composed the music, but penned the lyrics as well.

In a candid interface, the actress-turned-musician talks about the varied facets of her life and career. But music being the peg for the piece, I wonder, how the scene-stealer in films such as "Chinna Gounder" and "Walter Vetrivel" suddenly took to cutting albums. "I don't really know how it happened. One morning when I was in Thiruvananthapuram to shoot for a serial, the lyric that I've called `Nadu' just came — like water gushing from a faucet. I took my pen and started writing. The music for the lyric too came about subconsciously. I was pleasantly surprised. When I told my parents, they thought I was joking. But when they saw the lyric, they understood that I was serious and started encouraging me. I was inspired to write the second song, "Vela", a little later. From then on lyrics just came incessantly. It has been a wonderful experience. The spur to write and compose comes in bouts — at temples and even traffic signals. Sometimes I don't have even a paper and pen to record it, so I store it on my mobile."

So how has the response to her musical debut been? "When I showed my lyrics and sang some numbers, people recognised the ragas and hinted at the swaras too. I met popular Carnatic artiste Mala Chandrasekar, who encouraged me to go ahead. As far as Carnatic music goes, I had picked up a little because of my tryst with classical dance. Thankfully, all those who were associated with me for "Azhagu" motivated me. In a song rendered by S. P. Balasubramaniam, there was a Sanskrit word. When the singer pointed it out to me, I told him I didn't know Sanskrit. He was shocked. Later he sent me a note that said: "The Almighty showers some things special, even when you don't ask for it. Enjoy it, make him happy." Singer Chitra too was happy to see me composing music and writing lyrics. She wrote to me, "Give the world the best you can and the best will come back to you."

Musical journey: Sukanya with s. Janaki

Will "Azhagu" mean more musical ventures in the months to come? Will Sukanya explore film music as well? After a meaningful pause, the artiste who can perform light and poignant scenes with ease says, "I want to compose music for films. But I do have my reservations. I hope directors help me explore this potential further."

In reminiscent mode, Sukanya traces her early years as a student at Kalakshetra. "I was lucky to study on a scholarship. Every year, my sister and I used to get at least half a dozen certificates for our dance programmes. Later, I was fortunate to be in popular danseuse Chandralekha's troupe. I travelled with her to various dance festivals. In 1987, we went to Russia to participate in the `Festival of India'. The first performance at the festival was by M. S. Subulakshmi. I was the youngest in the troupe. I danced on the stage near the Kremlin Square. Among the VIP audience were Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mikhail Gorbachev. It was a wonderful experience."

Tryst with cinema

Having been so involved in the classical arts, what made Sukanya turn to films? With her trademark disarming smile, she says, "Acting just happened. When I was selected as the heroine for the film "Puthu Nellu Puthu Nathu" I wasn't exactly overwhelmed with joy. I always wanted to do something different. So when the opportunity came, I was just happy to do it. It was only after the film's release that I thought I was capable of acting. This was enough to motivate me to do roles that not only satisfied me, but also film-goers. "Walter Vetrivel" and "Indian" are fine examples of how I explored my creative urge. But even when I was doing films, dance continued to be an all-consuming passion."

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