“I could not have asked for a better debut,” says Ahi Ajayan about her song ‘Kannilu’ from ‘Ayisha’, starring Manju Warrier

‘Kannilu’, a dance track composed by M Jayachandran, has been choreographed by Prabhu Deva

Ahi Ajayan has made her entry into tinseltown with a bang. She is the voice of the groovy track, ‘Kannilu kannilu’ in Manju Warrier’s Ayisha, the lyrical video of which has gone viral clocking over 18 lakh views. The song, composed by M Jayachandran, has been choreographed by Prabhu Deva.

“I could not have asked for a better debut,” says US-based Ahi, whose parents hail from Kerala. In a Zoom chat, Ahi says that she has been looking for an opportunity to work in films. “I had sent recordings of my songs to some composers, including Jayachandran sir. He wanted to try my voice and sent me a small portion of the song. He liked my work and, later, I recorded the song in Kochi.”

Ahi (“which means heaven and earth conjoined”) has been trained in Carnatic music from the age of three. “. I stayed in Chennai, during 2013-15 to learn music from my current guru Suguna Varadachari. Now I come to India twice every year — in summer to learn from my guru, and in December for the Margazhi season,” says Ahi. She has given Carnatic concerts in Chennai, Hyderabad and across Kerala.

Ahi points out that although Carnatic music has been her focus, she has been trying out other genres as well during the last few years. “I have a lot of love and appreciation for Indian film music, especially South Indian music. When I had a gap year, I decided to focus on trying to get into the film industry,” adds the 19-year-old singer.

Ahi says that she had a great time recording the ‘Kannilu...’ track written by BK Harinarayanan. “I knew the project had Manju ma’am but didn’t know that it was going to be choreographed by Prabhu Deva. Before recording, Jayachandran sir briefed me about the story and the situation. He told me to feel the energy, putting myself in the actor’s shoes. Emotion is always an important part of music and he was particular about how it should come across in the song,” explains the singer.

Ahi’s father, Pulickel Ajayan, a professor, is from Kodungallur, and her mother, Poornima, a financial analyst, hails from Kozhikode. “I can speak Malayalam, but I can’t read or write the language. I was nervous during the recording. But the team created a comfortable environment. I want to do more of playback singing,” she avers. Meanwhile, having completed high school, she plans to pursue cognitive science.

Her favourite musicians? “Jayachandran is a big favourite of my family. I love the music of Anirudh Ravichander and Govind Vasantha. As for singers, I am a big fan of Sid Sriram. He also has a Carnatic music background and is from the US. He has a special voice,” Ahi signs off.