Ankita records Rahman song

A young Sydney singer scores a dream debut in the Indian music industry

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

At the time she didn’t know that her words would be prophetic…for herself!

At a chance meeting with AR Rahman in March this year, she sang for him casually. Less than a week later she had recorded a song under his direction.

Twenty-one-year-old Ankita Sachdev’s first full-length Bollywood playback song has just been released, and the film, Mani Ratnam’s multilingual Abhishek-Aishwarya starrer Raavan/Villain

“I’ve really been fortunate to get this opportunity so early,” Ankita told modesty. “I just couldn’t believe it when it was all happening. It gives me goosebumps even now when I listen to the song!”

Although Ankita has already sung playback (she sang the national anthem in the Hrithik Roshan film 4), this is her first ‘original’ song.

The song appears in the Telugu version of the film (Villain) and is entitled soothing, soft-flowing, romantic number”. It is sung in the film by the ethereal Aishwarya Rai, as she dances, blissfully in love, around her home – in the kitchen, in the balcony, yes, even in the rain.

With this song, Ankita finds herself in the exalted company of Shreya Ghoshal and Reena Bharadwaj (who sang the Tamil and Hindi versions of the song respectively).

Most people in Sydney’s Indian community who have heard Ankita sing (whether on Indian Link Idol or at a community event) have thought she is tailor-made for a playback career in India’s music scene. Indeed, Ankita herself has been training for such a move, staying on in Sydney only to finish her Bachelor’s degree. She moved to Mumbai in late December last year to pursue her dream.

To see a clip of Ankita sing to Rahman, catch the Youtube listing of Lift Kara De dated March 27. And don’t miss the change of expression not just on Rahman’s, but Karan’s face as well

Her uncle Sunil Sachdev found a music school for her after researching all the schools in Mumbai.

“I’ve watched Ankita grow up singing and training,” Sunil told Indian Link. “She has impressed us all with her total dedication so far, and so we were all motivated to help her realize her ambitions”.

Ankita has joined the Raageswari School of Music where she has been training in classical as well as playback singing. This of course, is over and above the years of training she has already received under different gurus growing up in Mumbai, as well as after her family moved to Sydney ten years ago.

In late March, Ankita learnt that her school had organized a trip for students to view the recording of Karan Johar’s TV show Lift Kara De (Sony), at which the main guest was AR Rahman. As part of the show, the audience were given an opportunity to ask the guest questions.

Ankita’s question to “Rahman Sir” was, “Which is your favourite song?” song Munba Ve, even though I don’t speak the language.”

“I love that song too, you know…” Rahman muttered. Ankita had the presence of mind to ask, “Can I sing you two lines?”

To see a clip of Ankita sing to Rahman, catch the Youtube listing of Lift Kara De dated March 27. And don’t miss the change of expression not just on Rahman’s, but Karan’s face as well. When she finished, Rahman responded with a single word.

“Wow!”

Ankita recounts the experience for Indian Link

“I had been sick ever since I landed in Mumbai, but had been keeping up the riyaaz. For the Rahman show I remember vaguely thinking how nice it woud be if I could score an opportunity to sing in front of the master… perhaps before the start of the show or after, if I could catch him for a few moments. So I tanked up on the home remedies – adrak, honey, homoeopathy –anything to make me feel better. But who was to know I would get to sing during the show!”

During the commercial break after her little performance, a staffer walked up to Ankita and asked for her mobile number.

The next day, Ankita’s phone rang. It was Rahman.

They had a brief chat, and he finished by saying, “We’ll be in touch.”

Shortly thereafter, one of his assistants rang her and asked her to come in for an audition.

And then came the call that Ankita thought was a dream.

“We’re sending you two tickets to fly down to Chennai – we want you to record.”

Sunil Sachdev, an accountant by profession, dropped everything and accompanied his bewildered niece to Chennai.

“I got the brief for the Villain song,” Ankita recounted. “I heard the Hindi and Tamil versions constantly till I learnt to sing them both well. Then I got on to the Telugu version. Because I don’t speak the was helpful and it all went smoothly.”

Meanwhile, Rahman had to fly out to Delhi to receive his Padma Bhushan award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. At his request the Sachdevs stayed on in Chennai.

“When I was called in to sing finally, I told myself to get my act together. I went in and gave it my best shot. There were many takes and retakes, but I think I’m pleased with the final version,” recalled Ankita.

As they headed back home they were told, nothing was final yet. There was, even now, no guarantee that Ankita’s version would be included in the final cut.

Ankita’s dad Praveen Sachdev, back in Sydney, told his daughter not to be disappointed.

“I said to her, ‘It shouldn’t matter. Rahman ke direction mein, unke studio mein, gaaya, itni hi kaafi hai (You’ve sung under Rahman’s direction, in his own studio, that should be enough).”

For someone who has been the guiding force in Ankita’s career, her dad’s humility rubbed off on her.

“I spent the next few weeks just reliving the Rahman moments in my mind… and I have to say, I thanked God a fair few times,” Ankita said.

In early May, the film’s music was launched. And Ankita’s track had made it!

The reviews came flooding in, with Telugu fans declaring it “the best song of the album” on various websites and chat forums.

Both Praveen and Sunil are full of praise for the treatment they received at the hands of Rahman’s team.

“Their hospitality, and that too to a total newcomer, was amazing,” Praveen said. “Rahman himself is an amazingly humble person, a man of few words. Do you know, in one of his early conversations with Ankita, he uttered something that sounded like, ‘You are taken’. That should have given us an idea…”

And what’s in the future for this talented young lady?

“Don’t know yet,” Ankita laughed. “I’m just waiting for June 18, to see the film on the big screen.”

Good on you, Ankita. Here’s hoping you go far in the industry.