An actress, singer, composer, entrepreneur and lyricist — Vasundhara Das dons many hats indeed. While 'Hey Ram' and 'Monsoon Wedding' got her noticed as an actress, it was the number Shakalaka Baby, which she crooned for the film 'Mudhalvan', that got her attention as a singer. After staying away from the limelight for sometime, she has made a comeback with the film 'Paranthe Wali Gali'.
However, Vasundhara insists that she’s “never really been away”. “I’ve been touring the country and the globe with my band, performing at concerts and engaging with people who love my songs. Apart from touring, I’ve composed, sung and released music which is not necessarily associated with films — for instance, The Shah Hussain Project, a Sufi collaboration with the Rajasthani singer Mir Mukhtiyar Ali. I’m working on various genres of music at my studio, The Active,” she says.
That isn’t all. Vasun-dhara has also set up Drumjam, a venture that holds interactive rhythm-based activities. “I have been working with my partner Roberto Narain at Drumjam where I facilitate rhythm and voice-based interactive events for corporates and even children,” she says.
She may have been part of some acclaimed films, but Vasundhara admits she never pursued her acting career seriously. Not that she regrets it. “Music, singing, performing, composing — these have always taken priority over acting. But I must say that I’ve enjoyed my stint as an actress and only accepted movies when the roles were very interesting to me. I am very content spending quality time working on music. Music has always been my first love,” she explains.
Currently, she is really excited about her film Paranthe Wali Gali, that has just hit the theatres. The film is special since it’s her first as a music composer. “All thanks to the director, Sachin Gupta, I had complete artistic freedom to create a musical canvas for the five songs I’ve composed,” says Vasundhara. Previously, Sachin had directed me as an actress for plays that he had written and directed.” Here’s wishing the duo a chance to recreate the magic.
