IF A.R. RAHMAN TELLS YOU THAT YOU CAN SING, YOU SHOULDN’T DISRESPECT HIS JUDGMENT: TANVI SHAH
The Grammy award-winning Jai Ho singer, who was in Dubai for a social cause, tells City Times how A.R. Rahman inspired her to excel and why celebrities should give back to society
SHE IS INDIA’S first ever female singer to win a Grammy for the Best Song Written for Visual Media (with A.R. Rahman and Gulzar) for Jai Ho from the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. Tanvi Shah who began her career in Bollywood with the song Fanaa from the movie Yuva, went on to show her versatility by singing in many other languages, including Latin. A trained soprano singer, she also featured in American rapper Snoop Dogg’s song Snoop Dogg Millionaire.
Tanvi was in
Dubai recently to sign an MOU with Dubai- based Stratgurus Group of Companies to be the face and voice of their global campaign ‘Body not Commodity’. This initiative is spearheaded by Dr Tabassum Khan (Chairman of Stratgurus) to raise awareness about human traffickand
A.R. Rahman always gets you to think out-of-thebox and do something new or different.” Tanvi Shah
ing for organ trade. A music video and a film (partly shot in Dubai) is being produced for the campaign. We speak to Tanvi to know more.
How does it feel to be the only Indian woman to win a Grammy?
It’s a real privilege, but it’s also a lot of pressure. On that day (at the Grammys), going up on stage, I remember thinking that here I am, representing my country and the women of my country. It was a very proud moment. Since then, doors have opened for many other women to make a mark in the international music arena.
I’m glad that I was, in some sense, an inspiration for them.
Tell us a bit more about the Grammy-winning song Jai Ho from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. How did that come about?
Rahman sir called me to the studio along with Gulzar saab to work on Jai Ho. While I was singing the song, he said he wanted something different and asked if I could pen some lyrics in Spanish for the song. In the beginning, I was a bit apprehensive, but I went ahead and after I finished singing the track, he told me that’s exactly what he was
looking for.
How is it working with A.R. Rahman. Any more projects with him?
I have been working with Rahman sir since 2003. So far, it has been a rewarding experience because each time I came away from the studio I felt I learnt something new about music and about my voice. He always gets you to think out-ofthe-box and do something new or different. Recently, I worked with him on the background score for Mani Ratnam’s Tamil movie Chekka Chivantha Vaanam. Other than that, we’ve also done some jingles.
How did your interest in music come about?
Music has always been a part of my life but I was more of a bathroom singer. Then Rahman sir heard my demo track and called me in to record my first song Fanaa for Mani Ratnam’s film Yuva. That’s when my music career actually started. Music was never my plan. I am a graphic designer. It just happened. It was thrown at me and I just took it on.
Bollywood music is adapting Western pop styles these days. What’s the reason?
Companies are packaging music differently these day, and personally, I am not a big fan of commercial Bollywood music. Gone are the days of beautiful, meaningful lyrics. However, having said that, I think good music is also being produced these days. I see a lot of independent artists coming out with original stuff. The music industry has broken out of the notion that you need to sound like someone. It’s now very much about your personal style and giving it your own spin. Everything is a cycle. So music too is going through a commercialisation phase, but I feel we are going to go back
What are some of the challenges you faced while trying to get a break in the music industry?
I just got very lucky. If something as divine as music is thrown at you and if someone like A.R. Rahman tells you that you can sing then I don’t think you should disrespect his judgment. So I went ahead and put in that extra effort and gave it my best shot.
What’s your advice to budding talent?
Diligence, dedication, discipline and punctuality. If you have these four qualities you can never go wrong. It might take time but if you focus and believe in yourself things will happen.
Tell us about your charity work.
I have always believed that as humans we have to give back to society. And if you are a celebrity, then it becomes your duty to do so. For me giving back to society is not about supporting with money. It is about giving time and effort to something you really believe in. It is about being present and really getting involved.
What’s next for you?
I’m coming out with a few singles and have started discussions on a project with Egpytian artist Hisham Kharma.