When I enter her hotel room with my friend in toe, Kavita Krihnamurthy- Subramaniam is chatting merrily with some family friends. After coming to know my journalistic credentials, she deputes the responsibility of carrying forward the friendly chat to her husband (noted violinist L. Subramaniam). Amidst that hubbub, we start the interview but even before that we have managed to connect musically- she is delighted to know that I am having all Lata- Sajjad songs in my collection and asks me to make a copy for her. Kavita comes across as an artist who has seen it all without harbouring any malice. Extremely articulate and well-composed, she talks eloquently about the past, present and future of her long career.
Are you satisfied with what you achieved in your career?
To be frank, I have to say- No. I feel I missed out on many good opportunities. More importantly- I often lost my mentors midway, just when I felt that I was beginning to understand what those composers were exactly looking for in their songs. It happened first with Panchamda at the time of 1942- Love Story and later with Laxmi-ji (Laxmikant) after Bhairavi. Their untimely death was a sad blow as it deprived me of many a good song.
How was your journey into film music?
I was born in a Tamilian family but my foster-parents were Bengali. At my mother’s insistence I started learning classical music from early childhood. My father used to work with Ministry of Information and Cultural Affairs. So we used to attend a lot of cultural programmes. But coming to Bombay to try my luck in film music was my foster-mother’s idea. She was a good friend of the actress Hema Malini and it was Hema’s mother who put that idea into her head. Initially rest of my family was against this idea but I assured them that I would first complete my college education and then only indulge into my career.
Is it true that Manna Da played a major role in shaping your music?
Yes, Manna Da has been my most important Guru and a father-figure. I used to study with Hemantda’s daughter in Xavier’s College. Through her I got to meet Hemant Kumar and sing with him in his stage shows. Hemantda then introduced me to Manna Da, who then taught me the nuances of music. He made me learn to write my notations. He said that without knowing what notes you are singing, how could you be a perfect singer? With him I performed in many stage-shows. He is a thorough gentleman and a stickler for rules- a real representative from the golden era of music.
How was the experience as a dubbing singer?
In those days, dubbing songs in someone’s voice was a routine if the main singer is not available for some reasons. Often producers wanted the ready songs urgently for the sake of picturisation and to satisfy them, composers used to ask newcomers to fill in for the time being. I dubbed mainly for Lataji’s songs in Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s music and it was a great learning experience. I would always observe minutely how she would sing that song in the final take and learn finer details. In Maang Bharo Sajna I got my first solo and Tumse Milkar Na Jaane Kyuun from Pyar Jhukta Nahi was my first major hit.
What do you think of the present-day music?
I think that compared to the earlier composers, today’s composers are much more well-versed with modern trends and with different genres of music from different parts of the world. But they lack strong Indian musical base. Their Indian musical roots are not strong and that reflects in their tunes, which sound foreign. The lyrics are not poetic. The interlude-prelude music has become far too prominent and it often makes us lose track of the main theme of the song as we progress from Antara to Mukhda. That’s why the life of contemporary songs-even the successful ones, is very short.
Which songs of yours make you proud?
I like my songs from 1942- A Love Story, Bhairavi, Khamoshi, Bombay, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas.
What about Hawa Hawai and songs for Sridevi?
Oh, yes. They are also amongst my favourites. Sridevi was a lively actress and somehow my voice suited her perfectly. In fact, Hawa Hawai was originally supposed to be sung by Ashaji and I was just dubbing it. But my take was liked by everyone and they kept it in the film.
Had you recorded Kuchh Na Kaho?
No, but I had rehearsed it with Panchamda. It was such a lovely tune that I had tears in my eyes after rendering it.
So do you think that Mangeshkar monopoly hurt your career?
(Indignantly) No, how can you say that? If I were a composer, I would make Lataji sing practically every song in my music. Such is her understanding of music that she can fill your composition with colours that you have not even imagined while composing that tune. She was simply the best and that’s why she got the best songs. So where does the question of monopoly arise? And for those songs where you want a slightly different colour, then there is Ashaji to complement her.
Now let me tell you a small incident that shows how dedicated is Lataji to her music. We had sung together in a group- song for Yash Chopra’s film Darr. A few days after the recording, I met Lataji at some place. She came to me, held my hand and said, “Kavita, I am really sorry. I re-dubbed my part in that song.” I was surprised and said, “But why? You had sung it well.” She said, “No, later on while listening to it I felt that I was sounding tired. So I requested Yashji and re-did my part.”
In my mind, I saluted her dedication at that age. She didn’t need to do all that fuss- since that song wasn’t even a front-runner and she had already recorded a potential hit song (Tu Mere Saamne) for that album earlier.
How has marriage (with violin maestro L. Subramaniam) changed you as a person?
After marriage, I have mellowed down as a person. I also learnt to appreciate different genres of music. Sometimes we come back late at home- after a program or after a long-haul flight, I am all eager to go off to sleep but just then I find him playing or practicing a tune on his violin with so much of passion that it just melts my heart. I think that’s the most wonderful sight in the world!
Kesariya Balam