The Malleswaram 'Hudugi'

HI ALL,

Just to scrap something about this GIRL And I can’t stop thinking about the early months of my relationship with this singer, months and days that were hectic and raw and so full of hope and panic that every day seemed like it would collapse in on itself. I love that almost five years into my relationship with her music, and an extra cover up in Citizen, a Tamil Movie with Ajith. She is Just an amazing Lady having wonderful Voice. I can hear a few notes and feel what it was like between us. And that is what this whole rambling entry was for, to say I am so happy I have brought music back into my life of this Beautifull Ladyz voice. She is just amazing, her voice makes u so energetic “The Malleshwaram Hudugi” thanks to Amritamati. S

Vasundhara Das is a Malleswaram girl. Her grandmother on her father's side used to sing Karnatak music. For those not familiar with Bangalore, Malleswaram is an old locality, like Basavangudi, where some of the city's most distinguished people live.

The Kannada writer G P Rajarathnam and Veena Doreswamy Iyengar were famous Malleswaram residents, and Vasundhara like them is an Iyengar. This is one of those localities that still loves to shop at old-fashioned flower and fruit markets, although big departmental stores have in recent years set up their businesses in re modeled buildings.

Malleswaram gets its name from the Kadu Malleswara temple, an ancient Shiva shrine whose beautiful granite tank was unearthed five or six years ago. It is also a locality that loves traditional music. Malleswaram Sangeeta Sabha and Ananya conduct classical music concerts regularly.

Vasundhara is a new generation Malleswaram-ite, singing pop and rock, and perhaps more comfortable in the "hip-hep-hyped" parts of Bangalore than in old Bangalore. She was a star performer at Channel V's road show on 2 March. But her links with the old Bangalore remain: she has been a student of Pandit Parameshwar Hegde (a student of Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru), incidentally also a Malleswaram resident.

In a chat with The Music Magazine, from which we have transcribed the earlier narrative, she said her present acting and singing assignments don't allow her the time to catch up with her classical music lessons. Although she would like to sing Hindustani music professionally, she feels she hasn't had enough practice to do it. The really touching part was when she spoke about her desire to remain with music even after all the glamour stuff was done. She described A R Rahman as "an intelligent man", and recalled the experience of recording the Mudhalvan song Shakalaka baby. Once that song became a hit, she was called for several Tamil recordings, and one producer gave her songs she found utterly distasteful. She firmly refused to sing them and flew back.

Vasundhara's father is into various businesses, including real estate, and works from home. Her mother works at the Indian Institute of Science, which is close by. They live in an old-fashioned house (one of the that few that hasn't been demolished to make way for an apartment block) on a main road.