These days, when Shashaa Tirupati googles her name to stay updated with her social media presence, the title of being a National Award winner makes her feel the proudest. She confesses that the big win as a singer for AR Rahman’s Vaan Varuvaan (Kaatru Veliyidai, 2017) is still sinking in. The award is also extremely special for her because when she was a newbie in Bollywood, a renowned ersonality in the music industry told her that she didn’t have a good voice. The Humma Song (OK Jaanu, 2017) crooner believed him and gave up singing for three years. “Now, I’ve won the trophy for a composer who took a chance on me back then and there’s been no looking back since. Even if I win 10 other National Awards, this will have a special place in my heart,” she beams.
THANKS TO THE NAYSAYER
In retrospect, Shashaa is grateful to her critic because she focused on composing music. “I could not detach music from myself because it has always governed my life. So, I ventured into compositions and music arrangement. I understood the emotional and technical requirements of a track. It showed me how to emote and vibe with a song,” she says.
MORE NON-FILM MUSIC
Her experience as a composer has also led Shashaa to focus on non-film music. “The aim is to get my lyrics, sound and arrangements out there. There are a lot of things and emotions that I want to convey. Being an introvert, it comes out through music,” says Shashaa, who plans to release singles in Hindi, English and Punjabi. The songs will have a plethora of themes. “One is about empowerment, growth and progress. Another is about rising up from the ashes after going through a heartbreak. There’s also one that revolves around the Nirbhaya case, which has intense emotions and leads towards hope,” she informs, adding that by the end of the year, she’s likely to release at least three songs. She has film songs to look forward to, she hopes to sing for Vishal Dadlani and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Amaal Malik, Rochak Kohli and Amit Trivedi some day.