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Suchitra Pillai: On a high note

With her debut album, Such Is Life becoming a hit, actor Suchitra Pillai shows that her claim to fame does not end with Dil Chahta Hai…

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Actress, model and VJ; Suchitra Pillai needs no elaborate introduction. If there is anything, it would be her penchant for music that not many know about.

“But music is something that I have been associated with since my childhood. In fact, I participated in a local talent show when I was six years old. My mother sang beautifully and this only furthered my interest in music,” says the trained Carnatic music singer.

“This interest was converted into passion soon after she moved to London in 1991,” she adds. “I was working in a high profile Indian restaurant and someone approached the owners asking them if they knew Indian classical singers and the restaurateurs, who knew my inclination towards music, referred me. French musician, Rashid Taha, was looking to work on a fusion track that had Hindi, Sanskrit and Arabic lyrics and I seemed to fit the bill. Next, I went on to work with a popular British band, Kula Shaker. I later acted in a Bally Sagoo video called Dil Cheez Kya…, which also went on to become a big hit,” says Suchitra recalling her initial tryst with music.

The success of each of her musical assignments is what motivated her to bring out her own album, which today has been nominated for several awards. The most recent being ArtistAloud.com’s best female singer award. “Ever since I returned to India, I wanted to work on a solo album. So, even though my film and theatre projects kept me busy, I made it a point to set aside as much time as possible for music,” she says. Is that why the album, Such Is Life, was in the making for seven years?

“Record companies wanted a few parameters to be met when it came to the packaging of the album and it took some time for my music director, Ashish Painoli and me to plan accordingly. But all the effort and time spent seem to be worth it as people are enjoying the songs. In fact, ArtistAloud has made it possible for our songs to be heard across the globe, as well,” says Suchitra.

And for those of you who are yet to experience the magic of Such Is Life, we will tell you that it is a collection of easily hummable

Indipop and rock songs. “The songs are a reflection of my life. I have penned most of the lyrics myself and each song conveys my opinions on issues ranging from romance to war,” adds Suchitra. We also find out that a track titled Yaara, has already been featured in the Salman Khan-starrer, Marigold. “I feel listeners are able to connect with my songs as they come with a message; a story that is global in appeal,” says the singer when asked about the secret behind the song’s popularity.

Given the response she has been getting, are more albums in the pipeline? “Currently I am busy touring with my band, Suchitra Pillai And Band. My theatre shows with Lillete Dubey are also taking up my time. But yes, I am keen to start work on my next album,” she says. The second album is even likely to have a song in Malayalam, her mother tongue. Is she open to playback singing in South Indian languages, too?

“Why not? I would love to act or sing in South Indian films. In fact,  I was supposed to act in a Malayalam film starring Mohanlal, but things didn’t fall in place,” she rues. And what about her other film projects? “There is Chemistry, a Hindi film. I am also looking forward to a musical that Lillete and I have been talking about for some time now. I wish she starts work on it soon. While I love doing films and television, it is a live performance, be it a music concert or a play that gives me the high. I hope to be seen more on the stage,” she says.    

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