The interview which appears below, was originally published on I Love A.R. Rahman Podcast in July 2021. ©The rights to this material are reserved to the owner. If you have any concerns or comments, please send an email to info@rahmaniac.com.
Shweta, welcome to the podcast! I feel extremely honored that you accepted my invite. How are you and your mother doing during this lockdown?
Thank you so much! It’s actually the title that attracted me – I could relate to it, so I’m here. Amma is good, thank you.
I had the opportunity to meet you in Trichy not so long ago – that was an unforgettable night! Your performance, especially the “Jai Ho” part, was incredible.
Thank you! It was the first time for me because I’ve never danced and sung before. I mean, I wouldn’t call it dance per se, but some movement and wearing the costume – I said “no way, I can’t do it!” But Rahman sir said I had to do it because usually it’s either Neeti or Jonita who sings that song, and both of them weren’t there for the show. I’m glad I got the opportunity to sing it.
During that song I was sitting in the audience, and the people just went nuts when you came up on stage!
You’ve learned Carnatic music. How much has that training helped you as an artist?
Definitely, that training is what has helped me the most. As you said, I was also taking it for granted that my mom was a singer, and I never liked going for music classes when I was younger. My mom started seeing that I didn’t have interest for it, so she thought she shouldn’t push me to do something I didn’t like doing – which as a parent, I thought was a very broad-minded thought at that time.
I stopped learning Carnatic vocal music, and then it was much later when I was 16 that I realized – only after I started going for culturals and when somebody pointed out that I have talent but I have to improve it – that’s when I realized I have to train and improve.
After I started training with my guru Srimati Binni Krishna Kumar, she really trained my voice. From raw talent, we have to polish it, and polishing only comes through training – any kind of training, not only Carnatic, even Hindustani or Western.
How long did you train in Carnatic music?
I’m a late beginner. I started in 11th standard and was very irregular while I was in college. So I would say I’ve learned totally for about eight to ten years on the whole, considering the number of classes.
Can you sing something in Carnatic for us? I ask this of every guest who has done something in Carnatic music because Rahman sir loves it too.
[Shweta performs a beautiful Carnatic piece]
Thank you for giving me the opportunity – I’ve never sung it before, I’ve never got the opportunity to sing like this. Thank you for it!
When you sing a song that’s going to touch somebody else’s soul, what goes through your mind as a singer?
Whatever the lyrics and the tune convey – that’s the music. If it inspires me, it really inspires me. If I can really connect to it, then I’ll do my best to translate what I feel into my singing.
Playback singing is basically acting behind the mic for film songs. Whatever the lyrics convey and what the situation wants, the song has to translate that emotion. That’s why they have a playback singer to convey the emotion of it. I try to emote as much as possible, and I’m always of the opinion that the tune and the lyrics will take care of everything. The tune and the lyrics will carry the song forward, and if the singer adds a little emotion with good singing, it will definitely reach the audience the way it’s supposed to reach.
Have you experienced Rahman sir pushing you to get into the emotion during recording, like he did with Alphons Joseph for “Arromale”?
To say the truth, that situation happens only with Rahman sir, and that just adds so much magic to the song because he’s really pushing the singer to get the best out of them. I can imagine what he would have told Alphons, and that’s what we’re hearing – what kind of singing is that! Even Alphons mentioned in his podcast that he’s never sung like that before. Before “Arromale,” he had never discovered that side of his singing.
When was the first time you met Rahman sir? Do you have any special memories?
I remember very clearly. “Bombay” was the first song that I sang in front of the mic in a studio. My mom, Panchathan was like second home – she used to be there almost every other day. When they asked for children’s chorus, they wanted to know if my mom’s daughter could join the chorus.
I was 11 years old then, so I was very excited about the whole thing. But I didn’t know Rahman sir – at that age, we see everybody as normal humans. I still remember that scene so clearly. From that window, I could see sir, and he was asking “What’s your name?” At that time, Shweta Shetty was really popular, so he said, “I’m going to call you Shetty!”
After recording, coming out of the studio, Hariharan sir was there to sing for “Kochu Kochu Rakama,” and there used to be one swing hanging right outside the studio. I was sitting on it and swinging when they finished their recording and came out. At that age, do I even know the stature of these people? So I’m sitting and singing.
They were standing in front of me for a long time, and Rahman sir was like, “Uncle wants to sit on the swing,” and I was like, “No, I won’t move!” They didn’t say I had to get down or anything – they were just standing there and talking. Then I got scared and got down!
Did you tell Hariharan sir about this when you met him in Trichy?
No, I didn’t tell him. I don’t think he remembers!
After that, there was a gap before you started singing professionally. How did you reconnect with Rahman sir?
After that, there was a huge gap – I hadn’t sung for him for many years. Later on, when I realized I wanted to sing and music directors started calling me for recordings, my mom said she had some very dear people close to her heart, and she wanted to give my demo CD to them personally.
I was damn scared to go to Rahman sir because I’d already seen him work. I told my mom, “I’m not equipped enough to sing for Rahman sir – let me have some more experience.” But she said Rahman sir is not like that, and since he’s the one who gave her so many special songs, it was her duty to tell him about me.
She took me to him, and right there in front of us, he played my demo CD and heard it. He just heard two songs and said, “Nice! So what do you do?” From that point, he started calling me for many backing vocals and scratch tracks.
You performed “Nenjae Nenjae” at a concert where Rahman sir mentioned his daughter keeps playing it. Can you tell us about that experience?
It was so special to me because it was my dream. I had watched his concerts as a fan, just like you and anyone else. I was in the VIP seating area, but I was as much a fan, and it was a dream – will I ever be able to be on that stage with him?
When that finally happened, it was incredible. The audience response was amazing, and when Rahman sir mentioned his daughter playing the song, it just touched my heart.
You’ve mentioned discovering new sounds in Rahman sir’s songs even after years. Does this happen to you too?
Absolutely! Even “Bombay” was playing on my CD player for the longest time, and every time I listen to the songs, I hear new sounds – some bird sounds and other details. We love it so much that we expect to hear those sounds in all his concerts too.
Can you tell us about recording “Maduraikku Pogadhe” – one of my personal favorites?
Thank you so much – this is a gift he’s given me. The recording experience was interesting because Rahman sir did not record the song for me initially. Shreya had actually sung this song, and it was beautiful, but maybe the director had some other vision for the voice.
When we recorded the song, sir heard it and came and made a few changes – there were tune differences. [Demonstrates the original tune vs. the final version] It’s not an easy song, and the recording went on for a few hours. Thanks to Sreeni uncle who’s so good at taking voices, the engineers there, and of course, thanks to Rahman sir.
What about “Macho” – that was such a unique song!
Trust Rahman sir to try me out on a song like that! When I heard the song, I was like, first of all, I’ve never sung a song like this, and trust him for giving me a song like that. He tries my voice out in so many different ways, and he tries everybody’s voices out in different ways.
“Macho” was a very different experience because I don’t understand Malayalam, to be very frank. I still don’t understand it completely, but it just sounds good to my ears. When I was recording it, I didn’t understand it at all, but when we heard it back, I completely understood it.
What’s your playlist like? What do you listen to?
The music that I listen to is classical music – both Hindustani and Carnatic – and of course, Western music while I’m gyming!
You mentioned feeling a telepathic connection with Rahman sir. Can you elaborate?
I believe in telepathy and the energy of the universe. The most recent incident during this lockdown – I was thinking of something, and the next day I see Rahman sir in some interview he’s given, and he says exactly what I thought the previous day. I was like, “Oh my god, I feel so connected!”
Does Rahman sir come in your dreams?
Definitely, most definitely! He comes as Rahman sir the music director. It’s very interesting – sometimes even when I’m about to meet him, like before the Trichy concert, I would have him come in my dreams more often, maybe six or seven weeks before the concert. That’s a clear sign for me that I’m about to meet him.
Is there a message you want to give to Rahman sir?
I can just say that I am completely a ’90s kid, so what is running in my blood as music and what is coming out of me as music is definitely influenced by Rahman sir. I’ve heard so much of him that I can relate to his music so well. Even if I try to compose something, it will have shades of his music. Even if I try to use some patches on my MIDI, it would sound like some patch in Rahman sir’s songs.
Some of your fans wanted me to ask you questions. Suchitra wanted to know if your husband Ashwin has sung anything for you.
Yes! Ashwin sang for me, and I had composed a song and wrote lyrics for him. It was a love marriage, and the song goes “I can see how much it’s meant to be, how we met, a little coincidence so sweet, you came into my life and along came the melody.” It’s a very sweet song.
Karthik asked what goes in your mind before recording with Rahman sir.
Nothing! Nothing is there in my mind. For people who I really admire and consider really close to my heart, and who I really want to sing for well – I mean, I want to sing for everyone really well, there’s no bias here, I’m giving my hundred percent every time – but when you want to sing well for somebody special, we slightly have butterflies in the stomach. That’s only because we want to sing well, and they understand it really well. Rahman sir also understands it, so he’ll encourage singers, saying “You’re singing really well, sounding very good.”
Has Rahman sir ever gotten angry during recording?
I remember one session where there was a huge chorus group from morning to evening. I was getting a little impatient, and then one singer’s phone started ringing, and he got angry. That’s the time I’ve seen him get really angry. Sometimes when things don’t go as planned, it’s very natural – he’s human after all. But he knows how to control it, and even if he screams at someone, they’re not upset about it because they know he has a reason.
Your friend Stephen Devassy sent a message saying “Always be the person you are and stay as dedicated as you always are.”
Sweet! He’s an inspiration actually – inspiration for hard work. Hard work pays off. He’s a ball of positive energy, and that’s what I love most about him.
You travel all over the world for Rahman sir’s concerts. What do you expect in return?
I don’t expect anything in return at all. Every day I listen to his music, and I feel blessed when I get the opportunity to travel and meet him in person. When he recognizes me and gives me those 10-15 minutes backstage, that’s wonderful, but it hasn’t happened in every concert.
In some concerts, I didn’t even have the opportunity to take a picture with him, but I was never upset. For me, it’s just about seeing the man I adore and sailing through that dreamland for those few days. There are no expectations or returns – it’s selfless love.
Any special memory from your wedding?
We had invited Rahman sir to our wedding, but on the day of our reception in Chennai, he was in the US. Sami came with the phone and said, “Sir just wants to wish you.” So Rahman sir called and said, “Hey, congratulations! Don’t fight!” His sense of humor is amazing!
