Things are slowly looking bright again. However, survival hasn’t been easy these past two years. What kept you going?
It’s actually strange because I started working in 2020 itself. When I first went back on set, I was really paranoid about what I was touching. I am back to functioning more normally, but I am very cautious. This is the second year that I am working during the pandemic. Of course, we have to get back to work, but we also need to be more diligent about our safety. Sometimes we start thinking that it’s not so bad, so we relax a bit, but we can’t afford to do that. What I did learn in the past two years is to be grateful and to make every single day count. Do the right things and live with humility. What has kept me going is my belief in, ‘It gets better tomorrow, but you also have to make today count.’
Your upcoming film Salaar with Prabhas will be dubbed in different languages.Throughout your career, you have worked across different industries. How much do you enjoy this process?
I’m glad that films like Salaar offer us the opportunity to connect with Indian languages across regions. I feel blessed to have grown up in a multicultural Indian home. While growing up, I learnt Tamil and Hindi, and additionally, learnt Telugu when I started working in that film industry 10 years ago. Our culture is beautifully diverse and I’m glad to be a part of that.
How we consume cinema or content has changed drastically in the last two years. Theatres offer an uncompromising cinematic experience, while OTT allows you to be in your comfort zone at home with an option of pause and play. What’s your take on this?
I would definitely say that I am a huge fan of going to the theatre and watching films. Nothing can compete with that experience. Having said that, sometimes having that one person talk on the cell phone or talk loudly during a movie, I can’t handle that. In that case, I prefer watching movies at home in my comfort zone, where I know nothing will disturb me. But some films are made for the big screen experience, the sound and the visuals need a certain platform. So, I won’t watch those at home.
As a musician, what do you feel about the future of live gigs?
I think we’re slowly opening up to live gigs, which is amazing, but of course, there’s a huge concern about safety. So many people in a closed area is a risk, which is why everyone needs to get vaccinated. It’s important for musicians to get back on stage, and not just the ones performing on stage, but the whole crew and the entire team that gets to travel and work because of live gigs. So yes, fingers crossed!
Did the lockdown help you give yourself more time and work on your music?
Yes, the lockdown gave me a lot of time to focus on myself and that’s where the music comes from. I don’t think I was writing as much during the lockdown, because it was overwhelming. The whole experience of being locked in the uncertainty of it didn’t really help writing-wise. When I started working again and was able to get out of the house, is when I actually started to write more. I will be releasing a few more singles soon. I’m excited for people to hear my music. Music is a part of who I am and allows me to express myself in a completely unique way.
