10-yr old girl wins national award for singing

Risingbd Desk: Uthara Unnikrishnan,  the10-year old daughter of singer P Unnikrishnan won the Best Female Playback Singer Award at the 62th National Film Awards of India for her debut song ‘Azhagu’ in the Tamil film Saivam.

The awards were announced on Tuesday evening.

Uthara was only 8 years old when she recorded her first song ‘Azhagu’ for the Tamil film Saivam directed by A L Vijay. G.V. Prakash composed the music of the melodious song.

Her mother, Priya Unnikrishnan, recalls, “She was very young then and wouldn’t come along for such social visits. We had to convince her that she’d get a lot of gifts at the places we go to. During one such visit to singer Saindhavi’s house, she sang a few lines.” Saindhavi remembered that voice a few months ago when her husband, music composer G.V. Prakash, was scouting for a child to deliver a song in Saivam . And that’s how the melodious ‘Azhagu’, which has already struck a chord with listeners, was born.

 

“I recorded for two days for the song — amma (mother) came with me on the first day and appa on the second. Appa (singer Unnikrishnan) helped me out with the difficult sangathis ,” says Uthara.

Being the daughter of a popular singer, she started off when she was quite young, learning the traditional geethams and varnams. “I love going to the music class. My teacher, Sudha Raja maam, is quite patient with me,” adds Uthara.

Uthara’s father P Unnikrishnan himself won the national award in 1994 for his debut film songs "Ennavale Adi Ennavale” and "Uyirum Neeye” composed by AR Rahman.

 

The video of the making of Azhagu song

 

Here is the song for which Uthara has bagged the National Award:

 

risingbd/DHAKA/Mar 25, 2015/Augusin Sujan