Nostalgia { when i was 22... } Mahalakshmi Iyer, Singer
“At 22, I had a huge crush on Michael Jackson”
Where were you career-wise?
I’ve been singing since I was eight. Somebody referred me to music director Anurag Shah. I recorded my first ad jingle, in Malayalam for Amitex saris, in my second year of college. Soon, I was recording title tracks of TV shows, and did Dus with Shankar-ehsan-loy. In the same week, recorded a small part for AR Rahman’s Aye Ajnabee.
What was your bank balance like?
I had an account with Canara Bank with around ₹5,000. We used to get paid very little for jingles. I turned over all banking responsibility to my father. Whenever I needed money, I would just ask him as there were no credit cards then.
Tell us about your family?
My dad’s name is Krishnamurthy. I didn’t use that as my surname. Somehow Iyer stuck with me. And I didn’t want the ‘Oh,
are you Kavita Krishnamurthy’s sister?’ comparison. My mother Vijaya Lakshmi was a wonderful Carnatic classical singer. I’m the youngest of four sisters and all of us would sing at home.
What was your frame of mind? I was going with the flow.
Which actor best matched your voice?
I’d like to believe that my voice suited Kajol and Rani Mukherjee on screen. Rani has been appreciative of my singing.
What was your most prized possession?
Our first two-in-one tape recorder.
Your fashion quotient?
I wore a lot of jeans and T-shirts, bell-bottoms, traditional dresses. I love wearing sarees. I got fashion tips from my sisters.
Who was your biggest crush?
I had a huge crush on Michael Jackson, because I was blown away by his album, Thriller. Later, it was George Michael because of the Wake Me Up Before You Go
dance step.