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

Ahi Ajayan made her entry into tinseltown. She is the voice for the groovy track ‘Kannilu Kannilu’ from Manju Warrier. Aisha, the lyrical video of which has gone viral with over 18 lakh views. Composed by M Jayachandran, the song is choreographed by Prabhudeva.

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

Ahi (“meaning heaven and earth merged”) was trained in Carnatic music from the age of three. “. I was in Chennai between 2013-15 to learn music from my current guru Suguna Varadachari. Now I come to India twice every year – in the summer to learn from my guru and in December for the Margashira season,” says Ahi. She travels across Chennai, Hyderabad and Kerala to Karnataka. Music concerts were given.

Ahi points out that although her focus is on Carnatic music, she has also been experimenting with other genres over the past few years. “I have a lot of love and appreciation for Indian film music, especially South Indian music. When I got a gap year, I decided to focus on trying to break into the film industry,” adds the 19-year-old singer.

Ahi says she was very happy to record the track ‘Kannilu..’ written by BK Harinarayanan. “I knew Manju Mem was in the project, but I didn’t know Prabhu Deva was going to do the choreography. Before recording, Jayachandran sir briefed me about the story and situation. He told me to put myself in the actor’s shoes and feel the energy. “Emotion is always an important part of music and he’s very particular about how it should come out in a song,” explains the singer.

Ahi Ajayan | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Ahi’s father, Pulikel Ajayan, is a professor, from Kodangallur, and her mother, Poornima, a financial analyst, hails from Kozhikode. “I know Malayalam, but cannot read or write the language. I was nervous during the recording. But the team created a comfortable environment. I want to do more in playback singing,” she gushes. Meanwhile, after finishing high school, she plans to pursue cognitive science.

Her favorite musicians? “Jayachandran is very dear to our family. I love the music of Anirudh Ravichander and Govind Vasantha. As far as singers are concerned, I am a big fan of Sid Sriram. He also has a Carnatic music background and hails from the US. He has a unique voice,” Ahi signs off.

The song also has an Arabic component, with lyrics by Noora Al Marjooki. Aisha Directed by debutant Aamir Pallikkal and produced by filmmaker Zakaria.