Tuning into love

As audience swoon over the romance in Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi’s latest movie Amaran, only few realise that Uyirey — the song where Mukund Varadarajan and Indhu Rebecca Varghese finally get married — was brought to life by a real-life couple and vocalists Nakul Abhyankar and Ramya Bhat Abhyankar. The new single, which was dropped by the makers of Amaran on October 30, is composed by GV Prakash, with lyrics by Vivek. Uyirey captures the profound emotions of love, setting the tone for the film’s compelling narrative.

The emotional core of Amaran was something the duo kept in mind throughout the song’s production. “When GV Prakash sent us the melody for Uyirey, he gave us the emotional framework of the film. We weren’t aware of all the details then, but we got the essence,” Nakul explains. “The song is all about the depth of emotions that come with love and longing. It was crucial for us to convey that feeling authentically in our singing,” says Ramya.

On the production side, GV Prakash’s initial melody provided a solid foundation. Nakul explains, “We started with a basic rhythm bed, and then I reached out to my friends, Jehovahson for sound engineering, Abhinandan David for the guitars, Lalit Talluri for the flutes, and Sayee Rakshith for violin, to add live instrumentation. The flutes, and strings made the song bloom emotionally, especially during the chorus.”

For Nakul, GV is one of the easiest people to work with because he gives one a lot of creative freedom. “He communicates his ideas clearly, but also trusts you to bring your creativity into the process,” Nakul says.

The couple found themselves drawn to specific lines in the song, which resonated deeply with their experiences. “For us, the recurring phrase, Uyirey uyirey, represents how integral our loved ones are to our existence,” Ramya says, adding, “When you’ve spent years together, that person is no longer just a partner, they are part of your life. They are the essence of your existence.” Nakul agrees, “Uyirey uyirey feels like a reminder of how deep love can run and shape your very being.”

Listeners had showered them with beautiful messages, saying that “the song makes them cry or feel love in a way they haven’t before,” says Nakul. “That’s exactly what we hoped for, to translate the emotions we felt while recording, into something that the audience could truly feel.” Uyirey has sparked new directions for their future musical endeavours. Nakul says, “This song has reaffirmed the importance of simplicity in music. Sometimes, the most powerful songs are the ones that aren’t overcomplicated.”

Ramya, who is gaining recognition through her work in films like Ponniyin Selvan, sees this as a stepping stone to further opportunities. “This song is a huge encouragement for me, personally. And I hope it leads to more collaborations in the future.” Uyirey is more than just a song for the couple; it’s a deeply personal reflection of their journey together, both as artistes and as partners in life.

On their upcoming projects, Nakul shares, “I’m currently working on two projects, Nidra Devi Next Door in Telugu and a Kannada movie, Family Man, starring Ajay Rao. For both of which Ramya has sung a song.”

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(Written by Shivani Illakiya)

shivani.p.t.illakiya@gmail.com