I’ve been interested in singing since childhood. My mother used to sing very well, although she didn’t have any formal training. She would teach me at home, and I used to take part in competitions. I think that’s where it all began. Later, I started training in Carnatic, later in Hindustani, and now I’m learning Carnatic again. Still, I followed the usual academic path, entrance, engineering... After engineering, I got placed at Infosys. Around that time, I took a break from the job and participated in a reality show, where I became a finalist. Even after that, I continued my job because there was pressure to rejoin. But eventually, when I went to Chennai, I realised that a corporate job wasn’t really my cup of tea.

Honestly, I didn’t put in any effort for that first break. It just happened while I was studying in 12th grade. My father runs a clinic in Alappuzha, and filmmaker Fazil is also from there. A relative of his heard that I could sing, and that led to an opportunity in Living Together. The music director was M Jayachandran Sir, whom I consider my guru. He really liked my voice. It was more of a children’s song, and that’s how I got selected.

It was very important for my growth. I used to sing melodies. However, in reality shows, you can’t stick to one genre. You’re pushed to try everything. That’s where I discovered my base voice texture and versatility.

Definitely. Alphonse sir’s vocal training techniques are something I still use during warm-ups. Sharath sir used to call me and ask if I was singing after the show was done. When I told him I was working, he would tease me about it. Later, when I moved to Chennai, he helped me with demos.

Becoming a musician or singer was always my dream. But I come from a very ordinary family, and my family wanted me to have a ‘secure job’. I worked in IT for a while, but I couldn’t handle the pressure. I even fainted one day. My health started deteriorating due to the stress, and that’s when I decided to resign. When I thought about what to do next, I still had that dream, but I lacked the courage. It was actually my husband who suggested, “Why don’t you try?”

I struggled a lot in the beginning. I didn’t know the language properly or the people in the industry. I began making demos and sending them out.

There were many difficult moments where I felt people were mocking me. However, I believe we get both negative and positive experiences from such situations. Once, I went to meet Ouseppachan sir through Sharath sir. I was literally shivering while singing. He later asked me to sing a folk-style piece and told me, “I think you’d be better off pursuing folk music.” I didn’t take it seriously then, but now I realise he was right. Most of my successful songs have been in that style.

Working with him has always been a great experience. He will provide singers with a clear understanding of the situation and emotions required, along with minute details.

I started singing in Tamil films. Before songs like ‘Kiliye’, I had already sung a good solo track titled ‘Pokaathe’ for Dhibu (Ninan Thomas) chettan in a film called ‘Nadhi’, which I feel didn’t receive the recognition it deserved. Gradually, I started getting more work. Initially, yes, it was challenging. My Tamil wasn’t perfect, but I worked on all kinds of projects — from devotional songs and singing chorus parts, to anything I could get. Those corrections helped improve my diction and discipline.

When I went to Chennai, I didn’t have a godfather in the industry. So, I started posting covers on social media, which got me a lot of work. I grew up listening to Hindi music, especially Latha ji’s. I try to enhance songs with my vocals and improvisations without spoiling the original charm.

I like both. It’s difficult to choose one. I want to be versatile and explore more. When I’m offered a song, I discuss it with the composer to see what kind of vocals would suit it.

Although I had previously participated in a reality show and sung a few Malayalam songs, they didn’t bring me much recognition. ‘Kiliye’ turned out to be my big break. The song went viral, and many people created cover versions of it, especially the line ‘Maayam Kaati Mayakidalle’, which I sang. It was also the first time I experienced audiences singing along during live performances. I first sang the scratch version of ‘Kiliye’ almost two years before the film was released. I knew it even then that this song would be a definite hit.

I’ve known Jakes (Bejoy) Sir from my time in Chennai, and he initially thought I was more suited to melodies. However, when I posted a cover of ‘Chenthamara Poovin’ from Chaaver, his manager, Dawn Vincent, noticed it and suggested my name. Jakes sir wasn’t entirely sure, but I eventually got the opportunity to sing ‘Pemari’ and the bit ‘Daive’ that plays in the background during the scene where Lalettan breaks down in the bathroom. While recording these songs, I had no expectations or idea of how big the project would turn out to be. I only realised it much later, when a friend called to ask if I had sung for Thudarum.

Yes, the description was very clear. They envisioned it as a metaphor, almost like the voice of nature, which is why it recurs in subtle ways throughout the film. It was conceived like nature expressing its pain on seeing her son’s suffering. So the song had to communicate a mix of power, pain and raw energy.

I don’t know how to explain that experience on screen. I’m a huge Lalettan fan, and seeing the iconic ‘mundu madakkal’ with my vocals in the background was nothing short of a goosebumps moment.

Yes, it’s a very light and soothing number, and has become a go-to song for many people whenever they feel low. For that song, Justin (Varghese) sir had called me just to try it out and asked me to sing a version. It was a fun and casual session. When I got there, he jokingly said, “You don’t have to stand and sing,” and set up the mic. I didn’t follow up much after the release, but one day Justin sir called and said, “Hey, that song we recorded has become a hit!” (smiles)

Whenever I sent demos of my singing to people, I would send them to Shaan (Rahman) sir as well. Later, I met him directly, and he liked the versatility in my voice. After that, I worked with him on a few songs. Then he called me urgently to sing this track, as the shoot was about to wrap up. At that time, I didn’t realise the scale of the film. He asked me to sing it powerfully since it was a dance number. When I later saw it with visuals, it was quite exciting.

I’ve done an Onam song and would like to compose more in the future. In playback singing, there is no guarantee that what you record will be released, so I’ve learnt not to keep my hopes up.

I think one reason is that a recording session doesn’t follow a structured schedule. It often happens late at night, and only now are more women willing or able to work in such conditions. The unstructured nature of the industry can be challenging. But many women composers are emerging in independent music now, and I believe the numbers will increase.

So many composers! But I think if you ask any singer, they will mention one name: A R Rahman.

Yes, it does help. But we don’t always get the visuals, because the recorded song is often needed for shooting. However, when we sing for the background score, it helps a lot. For example, in Thudarum, I recorded for the score while watching the visuals, and that really helped me understand the feel of the film.

For Lokah, too, I saw some visuals while recording the score. Later, for the teaser, I got to sing after watching the visuals, and that made it really special. Jakes sir and (B K) Harinarayanan even created a new language for it, ‘Mozhika’, which was brilliant. We were given the meaning of each line while singing. When I went to watch another film in theatres, they played the teaser of Lokah, and the first voice we heard was mine in the ‘Varin Jano’ portion. That was a great feeling.

I usually go as a featured artist for shows. I’m an ambivert, so I don’t really know how I end up performing so powerfully on stage. I think I connect with the audience’s energy. People often say I become a different person on stage. I like both, but I think I enjoy being in the studio more.

I see this journey like a graph. One week you get great feedback, the next week you face a setback. For a couple of days, it becomes hard even to turn on the sruthipetti. But consistency is the most important thing. Hard work and practice are the only things in our control.

Earlier, I didn’t do proper warm-ups. I now try to get vocal training. I also try exercises like the straw technique and avoid very cold food before recordings.