Vasundhara Das

Vasundhara Das (Kannada:ವಸುಂಧರಾ ದಾಸ್)(born 1977) is an Indian actress and singer. She began acting with the Kamal Hasan film Hey Ram (1999) and her playback singing career began when she worked with A. R. Rahman for the Tamil-language film Mudhalvan. She has also sung for Maestro Ilaiyaraaja in the unreleased Tamil movie 'Dhanush' acted and directed by newcomer A M Gurumani. Vasundhara Das has also recorded her own album of non-film songs, and sung in French, English, Kannada , Tamil and Hindi.

She has founded a musical band named Arya with Roberto Narain. The band comprises musicians from various backgrounds in music, ranging from Hindustani and Carnatic classical music to jazz, Latin, rock and pop. Arya’s music can be broadly classified as World Music. Arya’s first performance was at the prestigious festival La Mar de Musicas, in Spain in 2003. The band performed a tour in the United States of America in September 2004. Roberto Narain plays the drums and she provides the western and the Indian vocals.

Indian Films shy away from reality
An interview with Vasundhara Das

After your bang start, suddenly your fans feel you are lying very low. Are you taking a break?
I've just done what my heart told me to do! I have started a recording studio in Bangalore. I'm with the World Music Band, touring England and America extensively. I'm shooting films of my choice and am very busy with playback singing. Most of my songs have been chartbusters. And that's doing a lot, not lying low! If what I do doesn't make news, it doesn't mean I'm doing nothing!

Your hands are indeed full! Many singers are trying their luck at acting. You feel singers with a good face become good actors?
I can only speak for myself. I never ever wanted to act. My world was only music. Acting was just a sheer coincidence, a good experiment.

In Hey Ram and Monsoon Wedding, your roles were very spicy and glam.
Come on! I don't really understand why people say they were glam wham roles! One was a period film! Both of them were very good roles and the films required some scenes, which blended well with the story line and it wasn't meant to be hot!

Do you believe in the ideas of Indian hypocrisy projected in the Monsoon Wedding?
I do believe in what was shot. The problem in Indian films is we don't have the courage to talk about issues that exist, we tend to shy away. That's the reality, so why sugar coat it? Say it the way it is meant to be said.

From the Shakalaka Baby days, how have you seen yourself grow?
For me it has been a phenomenal growth. Whether it has been recorded in public or not, it has been a very personal experience. For a girl who wanted to be a pop singer, to have entered into the foray of acting, co-composing an album, forming a band etc., have been milestones.

So you are confident about your acting skills?
I have rediscovered myself with my acting. Every time I don a new role, I have to act and to act I have to be. To be, I have to know and that is where I start rediscovering a new me. So…

You have been doing a spate of Hindi films?
There are three of them on the floor. I am doing 'Film Star', which is about the relationship between an actress and a convict. I play the convict who is accused of having murdered her husband. Pathar Ke Zubaan recounts the Mathura rape case, where the rich people and the Police and a woman SI stand rape a quarry worker up for her.

Looks like you are very choosy about roles?
The time I spend away from my singing is very precious to me. I have to make good use of it. In fact I am doing a film called Kudiyon Ke Zamana, which is about 4 rich women (Rekha, Mahima Choudary, Kim and me) who don't know what to do with the time on their hands! The roles I do should convince me that I am spending my time usefully!

How come you didn't venture into Kannada films before Lankesh Patrike happened?
The funniest part is I have lived all my life in Bangalore and can speak very good Kannada. But seeing my face many people feel I can't speak Kannada well and that was one reason no one approached me! After I sang a couple of songs for the movie Neela, people were convinced that I know the language well. Anyway, if I think the role is good, I will do any film. Language is no barrier at all and my band Arya plays music in all languages.

So much was said about all those extra kilos you put on, against the usual hourglass figure that actresses are supposed to maintain.
That was a purely personal decision! I felt like eating well and I did it. After some time I felt I want to stop stuffing myself and I did just that! I live for myself and if people felt I didn't suit the role of an actress, well I have never pointed a gun at anybody and asked them to see my films!

But you look very slim and beautiful now!
Thanks! That was again my conscious decision!

There is so much said about the casting couch, especially with so many new kids on the block?
Well. May be that depends on you. If you keep your head on your shoulders and nowhere to draw the line, then you have no chance of complaining. But if you are willing to go that extra bit, whom are you blaming?

Yours is a husky voice and you have the glamorous look too. Why haven't you done any item numbers?
Whether I will accept an offer to do it depends on my frame of mind!

You have become a youth icon. What do you have to say to hundreds of talented youth out there who are struggling to make it?
You have to stand out on your own. Seriously, the entertainment industry is a reality check. No one comes out searching for you. It's a cutthroat competition and you have to go out and prove yourself. Remember you are always alone!

How has life been after you have become the tourism ambassador of Karnataka?
Lots of fun! I had been visiting the length and breadth of Karnataka since I was a child, but now I am doing it with a different perspective. There is so much of tourism potential, but unfortunately, there is dearth of funds unlike in Kerala, which has carved a niche for itself in the tourism world.

Having achieved so much, do you plan to settle down?
Marriage? Not on the cards right now! I am having too much fun and would like to continue it for sometime. No, I have no set ideas about the man in my life. May be the one trait I'll look for is a firm mind!

If you weren't singing what would you be doing?
Hitch - hiking or back - packing!


Source:ndtv
Vasundhara Das gets talking

Indo-Asian News Service

Tuesday, July 8, 2008: (Bangalore) :

Singer and actress Vasundhara Das wants to enlighten fans of film songs about other forms of music too. And she loves being part of the World Music band that tries to experiment with diverse rhythms and tunes.

"The people of this country are great music lovers. But unfortunately majority of them are only listening to film music and getting lost in enjoying filmy songs. I want to change this attitude and try to change the enormous focus given to film music," said Vasundhara.

On being asked about her association with the World Music band, she said, "I wanted to be a part of a larger group that is trying to experiment in music to set new trends. The relevance of realistic music has to be well understood by music fans in the country," she said.

Vasundhara, who started her career as an actress in Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram, says she drew inspiration from singer John Lennon of the Beatles group because despite his popularity he continued to experiment and be creative.

"You see his variety in songs like Imagine and Double Fantasy albums. He has done tremendous work in music and moved away from a stereotyped structure," said Vasundhara, who's sung popular Hindi numbers like Shakalaka Baby and Salaam Namastey.

Born and brought up in Bangalore, Vasundhara has now moved to Mumbai to experiment with different facets of music.

"We are moving out and on a world tour. World Music band is a non-commercial organisation that is experimenting in world music. Many well-known musicians and songwriters are in this band. Those who want to experiment and infuse new thoughts in music can join this gang," she said.

Before entering the music industry, Vasundhara featured in the Tamil film Citizen with Ajith, the Malayalam movie Ravana Prabhu with Mohanlal and the Kannada flick ILankesh Patrike with Darshan.

She then worked in Hindi films like Monsoon Wedding, Film Star, Pathar Bezuban and Kudiyon Ka Zamana. But she says she has always been more enthusiastic about singing songs than acting.

Vasundhara has sung for five Kannada films so far, including two for recent movie Sacha.

"I had sung the two songs in Sacha essentially for my mentor to show my love and gratitude for him. Parameshwara Hegde is the music director of this film. I learnt Hindustani music from him. I had to struggle and work hard like any other student to learn music under his guidance. He is strict, but he ensures that the students become effective singers."

But Vasundhara hopes to continue acting as well.

"I want to act again in a Kannada film. But the film should have a strong story line and I have to get the right banner and a good director," the actress said.