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Let's Get 'Mechanical'

Shashaa Tirupati talks to Box Office India about her latest song Mechanical sundariya from 2.0, working with A R Rahman and her future projects

The Indo-Canadian singer Shashaa Tirupati has made quite a mark for herself with her unique voice and style of singing. Her latest song Mechanical sundariya from the much-awaited film 2.0 starring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar had created a buzz ever since it released. Tirupati has sung the song not just in Hindi but in Tamil and Telugu as well.

Talking about the process of making the song, Tirupati says, "The song is called Mechanical sundariya in Hindi, Enthira logathu sundariye in Tamil and Yanthara lokapu sundarive in Telugu. Initially, I was called to sing the Tamil version and it was very different from what finally ended up coming out in the final version. But that is how it is with Rahman sir. He is very critical about his work. So he will record something, come up with a structure, then he dissects it and works on it. He retains certain parts and discards certain parts. It is a wonderful process working with him. It teaches you so much.

"That happened, and then a couple of months later, I was called to record the Hindi version. Strangely, I recorded the Telugu version in a hotel room during one of my tours with Rahman sir. The things you do when you are in a hurry! The crazy thing is that he knows how to get things done. It was so motivating," the singer remarks. Tirupati has sung the Hindi version with Armaan Mallik and the Tamil and Telugu versions with Sid Sriram.

The singer's relationship with Rahman goes back a long way. And it is no surprise that there are many things she has learnt from him, both personally and professionally. "As a singer, I have learnt to push my boundaries. We limit ourselves in our mind, but he makes you do things that initially seem difficult. You question it, at first, but when it is achieved, he smiles as if to say, 'I knew it all along and now you know it too'. I have also learnt that you can seek inspiration from anyone. His humility and his ability to see the good in people is inspiring," reveals Tirupati.

Asked what kind of music she wants to do and to fill us in on her plans, she says, "I work on anything that comes my way. I am slightly wary of the content. I always want to work with quality content. If it is a good song, I will sing it. I also arrange and produce my own covers. Making covers is not about singing a version of a popular song. I need to connect with the song. Also, I don't want my version to damage the soul of song.

"I recently did a version of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan saab's Sajna tere bina. I was excited when Vishal Dadlani liked it and shared it. I am a mammoth fan of his."

Tirupati concludes, "I am also doing theatre. I am very introverted and the stage is the one place that I feel at home. I am reading a couple of scripts. I have also been approached for a Netflix series. Talks are still on."

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