My first break - Charulatha Mani

January 28, 2010 03:06 pm | Updated January 30, 2010 05:15 pm IST

Charulatha Mani.

Charulatha Mani.

How it happened

Performing Carnatic concerts from the age of 14, I'm comfortable under the spotlight. I've won several awards, including the “Yuva Kala Bharathi” from Bharat Kalachar and “M. S. Subbulakshmi Endowment Award” from Narada Gana Sabha. My “Isai Payanam” show on Jaya TV made me a household name. As far as playback singing is concerned, music director Vijay Antony gave me the lovely song ‘Kaakka Kaakka' from Naan Avan Illai. But my first break in the true sense of the term came in the form of ‘En Uchi Mandaila' from the Vijay-starrer Vettaikkaran once again under the direction of Vijay Antony.

How it felt

The song catapulted me to fame — I'm pinching myself! When I watched Anushka and Vijay dance to this number on the big screen, in the midst of screaming fans, I thanked God. I'm grateful to Vijay Antony for offering me this chartbuster. It feels great to be acknowledged in classical music circles too. I've been complimented for my singing skill by legends such as Lalgudi Jayaraman and the late Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. I've also received the appreciation of playback singers P. Susheela and Vani Jairam. Vettaikaran

How life changed

I am travelling a lot, giving concerts and participating in light music shows. My future line-up of songs includes ‘Aaravadhu Vanam' for Vijay Antony, ‘Arjunanin Kaadhali' for Srikanth Deva, ‘Kaathadi' and ‘Muthulakshmi' for Sabesh-Murali, ‘Ennai Edo Seiduvittai' for Raihanah and ‘Veluthu Kattu' for Barani. Recently, 10 volumes of my “Isai Payanam” DVDs dealing with more than 35 ragas were launched. After the success of ‘En Uchi Mandaila', I feel the pressure to work harder.

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