Vasundhara Das A Bundle of Talent
(Source : www.mantraonline.com)


Vasundhara Das, belongs to a talented breed of performers. Right from her childhood, she proved to be a bundle of talent, who only needed a direction. Thanks to her parents, who were supportive of her pursuing her passion for music, today she is a recognized name in the world of music. She has rendered many a song for films down South and had a taste of the cinema spotlight in Kamal Hassans Hey Ram. Her portrayal of the character Maithili won her accolades and recognition. Today, however, she is back to her first love singing. Mantraonline.com with the singer turned actress for an exclusive tet-e-tet.

What prompted you to take the step towards acting?
When Kamal Hassan offered me the role in Hey Ram, I was not prepared for acting in films. But I took it as an opportunity and gave my screen test. Kamal Hassan thought that I suited the character of Maithali and thus I became a part of the project. Kamalji helped me a lot during the making of the film. My role was widely appreciated and everyone liked it.

Tell us about how you made your entry into the world of playback singing.
Music composer Pravin Mani arranged my meeting with AR Rehman, and thats how I got my first break. I started singing for Tamil and Telugu films and also have won the best female playback award in the 1999 Southern Filmfare awards. This boosted my singing career and till date I have sung for more than 70 films.

Do you think you can manage both singing and acting together?
I dont see any problem in being actively involved in both acting and singing. I have done Meera Nairs Monsoon Wedding. I am also doing a Tamil film opposite Ajit called Citizen. Then, I am also doing Achayan Tavir, a Tamil movie, directed by Madhavan, and a Malayalam film Ravana Prabhu, with Mohanlal. So I dont think there really is any problem. It is just the matter of managing yourself and I think I can do that. I dont find myself faced with any difficulties while doing so.

Do you have any plans of settling in Mumbai and do you intend to continue working in Hindi films?
Although, I dont mind working in Hindi films, I dont think I would like to settle in Mumbai. I prefer to shoot in Chennai because it suits me.

It is believed that Meera Nairs Monsoon Wedding was really tough?
Yeah! And I am expecting a lot from Monsoon Wedding. The film has been made for the film festival and I think that it should attract a lot of appreciation from the audience.

What is the feedback on your music album Meeri Jaan?
It is a very good album and I have received a lot of praise for it. Pravin Mahi has composed its music. All the eight songs in Meeri Jaan have been sung by me, and they all have a different style. We have worked on this album for one year and am quite happy that we have been able to deliver something different for the music lovers.

You run Freedom Jam, an organisation in Bangalore. What is it all about?
Freedom Jam promotes music and provides the platform to young singers who are talented enough and are looking for a break. I dont want other singers to suffer the same problems as I did. I learned my lessons from Pandit Parmeshwar Hegde and I had decided that someday I would do something about promoting music. So the concept of Freedom Jam took shape. I am very happy that it is doing fine and has been successful in its achieving what it had set out to.

What types of music would you like to work on?
Although I love all forms of music, I love Spanish, Indian Classical, Flamingo, Pop and Rock. I love to work on different forms of music. I am singing for Little John, a Tamil movie. In Little John I will be singing in English, Hindi and Tamil. It should prove to a different experience, and a nice one at that!

Wishing you a very bright future Vasundhara!