The participants who didn’t perform well enough to satisfy her exacting standards may label her the Simon Cowell of Tamil reality shows. But talk to singer Sunitha Sarathy and you see the other side of her.
She charms with her simplicity, perfection and approach to life. Her love for her work is evident when she talks about singing two tracks — Dushman Mera and The King Is Back in Don 2. “It’s very exciting to be a part of the popular Don franchise.”
However, she brushes aside suggestions of being under any kind of pressure. “More than me, I think the pressure would be on the composers — they have to live up to expectations. The music of the original Don starring Amitabh Bachchan was legendry and the subsequent Dons (the SRK starrer) was great too.”
After giving many hit tracks like Fanaa and Thoothu Varuma, she hopes that Dusman Mera will prove to be a popular number.
“When I heard the song for the first time, I thought it was phenomenal. It’s a really dancy number, which is sure to be a rage in clubs. There is one part (which she hums) that Shankar sings — it is amazing. I even told Shankar (of Shankar Ehsaan Loy) that I can’t wait to sing that part on stage.”
She adds, “Initially, it was just a theme track that starts on a lower register and eventually catches up. The composers were impressed with my vocal range and it worked in my favour. I went on to singing the theme song.”
What about actors taking over and singing for themselves in movies? Sunitha doesn’t see any reason why playback singers should feel worried. In fact, she is very impressed with Why This Kolaveri Di.
“It is his song — he lives it, breathes it — no one could have done it better. It’s fun. However, playback singers needn’t feel threatened because the voice quality that certain songs require, actors can’t ever deliver that. Some singers act, but you can’t expect them to deliver the acting nuance.”
So, is acting on the cards? “I get plenty of offers but it’s not my cup of tea. If at all I have to act, I will be the mad scientist who discovers the eggs in Godzilla,” she giggles. Immediately adding, “I love these wacky, monster movies.”
Sunitha doesn’t really fit the bill of a strict judge on a children’s singing reality show… “I am paid to search for the best singer. I may come across as rude but somebody has to tell them that they need improvement,” she explains.
Sunitha is in no hurry. She is now planning to devote some time for exploring her creativity — writing, composing and singing her own songs. “People take one step at a time, I plan to take one leap at a time,” she signs off.
