With 'Valli Kanavan', Maalavika Sundar finds a sound for freedom

For as long as Maalavika Sundar can remember, music has been both her discipline and her escape. A Carnatic singer who began learning music at two-and-a-half, she spent years training under her guru before stepping into the wider world of performance. She first came into the public eye through Super Singer 3, and Indian Idol, before making her playback singing debut with Dang Dang in Manam Kothi Paravai, a song that earned her the nickname Dang Dang Maalavika. Since then, she has moved between playback singing, Carnatic performance, independent music, and acting, making her film debut with Velvet Nagaram in 2020.

Her latest release, Valli Kanavan, is a Kavadi Chindhu she first encountered as a child, now reimagined through a sound that feels like a reflection of where she is today. We chat with Maalavika about Valli Kanavan, finding liberation, embracing vulnerability, and letting herself fly. Excerpts: