Nostalgia with Mahalakshmi Iyer: “At 22, I had a huge crush on Michael Jackson”

The singer talks about singing since the age of eight, working with Shankar-Ehsan-Loy, and her father handling her finances, when she was 22

Where were you career-wise?

Mahalakshmi Iyer at 22 (left) and at 46 (right)

I’ve been singing since I was eight. Somebody referred me to music director Anurag Shah. I recorded my first ad jingle, in Malayalam for Amitex saris, in my second year of college. Soon, I was recording title tracks of TV shows, and did Dus with Shankar-Ehsan-Loy. In the same week, recorded a small part for AR Rahman’s Aye Ajnabee.

Mahalakshmi recording a jingle when she was 22

What was your bank balance like?

I had an account with Canara Bank with around ₹5,000. We used to get paid very little for jingles. I turned over all banking responsibility to my father. Whenever I needed money, I would just ask him as there were no credit cards then.

Performing with Ehsaan Norani

Tell us about your family?

My dad’s name is Krishnamurthy. I didn’t use that as my surname. Somehow Iyer stuck with me. And, I didn’t want the ‘Oh, are you Kavita Krishnamurthy’s sister?’ comparison. My mother Vijaya Lakshmi was a wonderful Carnatic classical singer. I’m the youngest of four sisters and all of us would sing at home.

With Lata Mangeshkar, who once paid a compliment to Mahalakshmi’s singing

What was your frame of mind?

I was going with the flow.

Backstage during the AR Rahman tour, when she met Zakir Hussain

Which actor best matched your voice?

I’d like to believe that my voice suited Kajol and Rani Mukherji on screen. Rani has been appreciative of my singing.

Mahalakshmi with Sachin Tendulkar

What was your most prized possession?

Our first two-in-one tape recorder.

Dancing to Dafliwale with her sister

Your fashion quotient?

I wore a lot of jeans and T-shirts, bell-bottoms, traditional dresses. I love wearing sarees. I got fashion tips from my sisters.

With Javed Akhtar’s at his place, where they sang all night!

Who was your biggest crush?

I had a huge crush on Michael Jackson, because I was blown by his album, Thriller. Later, it was George Michael because of the Wake Me Up Before You Go dance step.

At the 10-year celebrations of the Slumdog Millionaire song Jai Ho, which she was a part of

Have you ticked off most of the items that were on your bucket list at 22?

I would say ‘One day, I’ll have a room full of books and all I’m going to do is curl up in a corner and read.’ Ironically, now I have a lot of books, but I have neither the time nor the mind space. And while I have sat in dangerous roller coasters I have not yet done another thing on my bucket list -skydiving or bungee jumping.

(Above) With Ehsaan Noorani at the launch of the Dance Masti album

Did you nurture any fear which you have overcome?

I was an extremely, painfully shy girl in childhood. Music has helped me overcome that because now I go on stage and interact with the audience, meet new people and project romance in songs.

From HT Brunch, December 3, 2022

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