VV Prassanna releases his first Tamil indie number; ropes in Bigil actress Indraja Shankar for the song’s video

Singer and musician VV Prassanna released his first independent single, Masikkadhe, yesterday. What’s interesting is that the Koodamela Koodavechi singer has composed, written, sung, acted in and directed the song. This number also features Bigil fame Indraja Shankar, Robo Shankar’s daughter.
Speaking about it, Prassanna says, “Masikkadhe loosely translates to mash. Idhaiyatha masikkadhe... is the crux of the song.I had composed two spiritual albums before this and wanted to delve into the indie space, too. I did a rough tune and wrote down the lyrics. But strangely, the word ‘masikkadhe’ came to my mind while I was getting a haircut (smiles). I immediately noted it down and reworked the lyrics. So, that’s how the song happened.”
The song also has newbie Raghashri Kannan, who has featured in the video, rapping a few portions for the number. But how did he arrive at the concept for the video? “I was part of SP Balasubrahmanyam sir’s last show in Canada. After the show got over, I had some time, and that’s when the idea of directing a video song came about. I had some points noted down, how it should be worked on and even wanted to shoot there. But things didn’t work out then. Later, we met Indraja Shankar and narrated the concept. She really liked it and came on board. The song follows a boy’s journey, who tries to woo a girl. While Raghashri and Indraja play two besties, who always hang out together, there comes a pleasant twist to the song.”
As far as the genre of the song is concerned, it is a peppy number with rap and kuthu beats. “Ragha rapped for those portions, and my daughter Sreshtaa, who is also a singer, has rendered the duet along with me. My wife Bharathi, who is a fashion designer, did the styling,” he says. The song also has a Hindi version, which will be released soon.
But what made him direct the song? “I had narrated a one-liner to a couple of directors and asked them to work on it. But whatever response we got didn’t really match what I had in mind. Hence, I decided to direct the video myself,” smiles Prassanna. Cinematography was done by RB Gurudhev, who has worked in various Tamil films.
The team had shot for the visuals two months ago, when the COVID-19 cases were down. “But we still took a lot of precautions and had a limited crew,” informs the musician.
Prassanna says that working on this project was really special. He says, “This is my first Tamil independent single and I worked in all departments possible (smiles). I learnt a lot through the process — sounding, directing, visual appeal and so on. I am certain that I’ve developed new skills after doing this project.”
With Tamil indie music quite hot now, Prassanna says that this trend is a welcome change. “With the rise in music reality shows, there is a pool of talent when it comes to singers. It is through projects like these that composers will be able to introduce new singers. The scene is evolving and I am happy that quality songs along with videos are being made now,” he signs off.