Getting high on the high notes

Singer Sanah Moidutty came to Kochi to record a song for a Malayalam film. She talks about her life and experiences

By Shevlin Sebastian 

Last week, singer Sanah Moidutty came to Kochi to record a Malayalam song by composer Prakash Alex for the film 'Varayan'. It is a soulful song with beautiful lyrics, she says. The recording was over in less than a day. And thereafter Sanah relaxed a bit. “It is always good to come to Kerala,” says the Mumbai-based singer, whose father belongs to Pattambi, while her mother is from Areekode. 

She says she is the typical ‘outsider’ Malayali. She can speak Malayalam but is unable to read and write it. 

In Kerala, Sanah enjoys the food and the greenery. “The traffic jams are much less, as compared to Mumbai, where we can be stuck for hours on the road,” she says. “I also get a chance to breathe fresh air, although, in Mumbai, I stay near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, which is one of the few major national parks in the world within city limits.” 

These days, Sanah is practising as hard as ever. She admits that the competition in Bollywood is very intense. “There are many talented singers around,” she says. 

She has a dedicated YouTube channel where she does covers of hit songs, but sometimes, adds her innovations. For the classic Malayalam song, ‘Karuthe Penne’ from ‘Thenmavin Kombath’ (1994), she added a rap section in English and Malayalam. 

Sanah made her name with the songs, ‘Tu Hai’ and ‘Sindhu Maa’ that she sang for AR Rahman for the film, ‘Mohenjo Daro’ (2016). And this happened through her own initiative. She had sung a song on her channel and, at the suggestion of her manager Ben Thomas, she sent the link to Rahman. The latter appeared to have heard it, and kept it in his mind. Because Rahman called her after two years to give her a chance in ‘Mohenjodaro’.  

Asked to give her impressions of the two-time Oscar winner, Sanah says, “When Rahman Sir calls someone, he believes in that person’s talent. So, he will present something to the singer and say, ‘Make this beautiful.’ He gives a lot of freedom to the singer. Rahman Sir is always in a creative ferment. He comes up with new ideas all the time. You have to be on your toes.” 

Sanah has been on the toes since the age of seven. That was when she joined the children's troupe ‘Bacchon Ki Duniya’ and performed in over 500 stage concerts in many cities of India. “It helped develop my self-confidence,” says Sanah, whose mother, a home-maker, had accompanied her to every show. “I am a different person on stage -- lively and outgoing. There is a subconscious switch-on. However, off stage, I am quiet and don’t speak much.” 

Instead, this graduate of a computer engineering course reads a lot. The latest book that she is reading is the bestseller ‘Daring Greatly’ by Brene Brown. “Brene says that being vulnerable enables you to be successful in life,” says Sanah. 

The highlight of Sanah’s career was when she took part in the ‘Star of Asia’ international festival at Almaty, Kazakhstan in September, 2017. There were bands from all over Asia, each representing their country. “My band and I were representing India,” says Sanah.

Following suggestions from the organisers, Sanah sang old retro songs like ‘Jimmy Jimmy aaja aaja’, and ‘I am a disco dancer’, both from Mithun Chakraborty’s films. The young men began shouting and tapping their feet, while the girls smiled and waved their hand fans vigorously. “They were having so much fun,” says Sanah. “The people of Kazakhstan are big fans of Bollywood. That’s when I realised music has no boundaries.”  

Meanwhile, Sanah, who is trained in Carnatic and Hindustani music, ensures that her voice is in good fettle. Every morning, she does a riyaaz for one-and-a-half hours. “Regular practice is very important,” says Sanah, who has sung for ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’, ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’, ‘The attacks of 26/11’, ‘24’, ‘Meri Pyaari Bindu’ and ‘India’s Most Wanted’. 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)