Meet Sinduri Vishal, the voice behind Thangalaan’s ‘Minikki Minikki’

It has been a day since ‘Minikki Minikki’, actor Vikram’s first song Thangalan Directed by Pa Ranjith. And for Sinduri Vishal, this feels like a moment of reckoning.

“This song is probably the biggest project of my career in Tamil cinema,” says the playback singer in a phone call from Hyderabad. The celebratory folk song, composed by GV Prakash Kumar, is sung playfully by Sinduri, her voice lending energy to Uma Devi’s lyrics. The lyric video for the song shows the film’s lead actors, Vikram and Parvathy, at some sort of celebration.

According to Sinduri, recording the song felt like a “happy, relaxed jam session” that lasted just over an hour.

“A few months ago, I was called to music composer GV Prakash’s studio to record the song. At that time, I didn’t know which film it was for. Since it is so folksy, I was asked to work on the tone and sing in my chest voice,” she recalls. Ranjith and Uma Devi, who were also present during the recording, helped her with the dialect, and she says she was asked to be as expressive as she wanted while singing.

Although the song’s chorus attracted her, Sinduri is all praise for the catchy song. “It just sticks in your head,” she laughs. She then sang the song in Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi, all the languages ​​in which the film will be released.

“Minikki Minikki” may be her big break in Tamil, but Sinduri is no newcomer to the world of playback singing, having sung over 75 songs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. While Tamil films Kuttram 23, Oh, Manapenneand more recently Rathnam, It is songs that she has sung, her songs in Telugu, that have become big hits. Sinduri has sung for Sai Pallavi when the actor danced to “Hey Pillagada” amidst green fields in Fidaaand later, as she walked through the streets of a rain-soaked Calcutta to sing ‘Oh my lovely lalana’ in Padi Padi Leche ManasuHer soothing vocals were also the reason for one of the most famous duets of 2022, “Kanunna Kalyanam” from the blockbuster film Sita RamamPictured are the lead actors of the film, Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur.

“I would like to think that I have a feel for languages. Even though I am not fluent in the language, I can sing well in it,” she says. Sinduri was trained in Carnatic music from a young age and gradually got exposed to ghazals. Later, she also learned western classical music. “I love trying out different styles and genres and am grateful to have sung diverse songs over the last decade. When I go into the studio to sing, I look forward to being able to add my personal touch to a composition,” says the singer, who also cites singers Chithra, Bombay Jayashri and Hariharan as major influences and inspirations.

Sinduri often collaborates with her husband, music composer Vishal Chandrashekhar. However, she regrets the misconception that she sings only for him, as their songs together have become very popular. “That is something I hope my song Thangalan will help me take off. Although our songs have been really special over the years, I want to establish my identity as a singer,” she says. Music is what brought her and Vishal together, and Sinduri, who is also a music supervisor on his team, says she brings her strong background in Carnatic music and his strength in Western music when they jam together. “We get along really well professionally and make sure we don’t interfere in each other’s musical process and decisions,” she adds.

With ‘Minikki Minikki’, which is already one of the most popular songs on YouTube and the already growing hype around ThangalanSinduri says this year looks promising. “I’m going to release some exciting songs, by composers I really admire, and I can’t wait to share them with others,” she says.