Sreya Jayadeep is a fan of Shreya Ghoshal. The 10-year-old has more things in common with the national award-winning playback singer than her first name. The little singer has endeared herself to Malayali audience just like the West Bengal-born singer.
The memorable number Yenno Njaanende from the recent flick Amar Akbar Anthony has become Sreya’s signature tune. All at 10 years, she has eight film songs and more than 50 album songs on her discography. Sreya’s voice was the highlight of a couple of carol albums released this Christmas. She has already sung three songs for movies to be released this year.
Sreya spent most of her childhood on the lap of her grandmother who was in love with old songs. While her father Jayadeep and mother Praseetha were busy at work, young Sreya took in the melodies her grandmother sung to her. Jayadeep, a developer in Kozhikode, realised his daughter’s interest and send her to Thamarakkad Krishnan Namboodiri and Kozhikode Satheesh Babu to train in music.
Her break came in the form of a music reality show organised by a television channel. She was invited to sing a Christian devotional song. Many such offers followed and the little singer’s voice became familiar across the state.
M Jayachandran, who was the judge of reality show, wanted Sreya to sing in his Christian devotional album along with Shreya Ghoshal, K S Chitra and Sujatha.
She had sung for Weeping Boys, Nirnayakam and Sir CP before Amar Akbar Anthony. Kranthi, Malgudi Days and Pathrosinte Pramanangal are the films to be released.
Director Nadirshah called up Sreya directly to offer her a song in Amar Akbar Anthony. The song was to be sung onscreen by a girl who had a pivotal role in the film. Sreya took in the character and lent intensity to the situation. Sreeraman, who essayed the role of the villain in the movie, was the first to congratulate her.
Sreya is already a celebrity in stage shows. A YouTube video of her singing a duet with Vijay Yesudas is a hit.
The young singer is a fifth-standard student of the CMI Public School at Devagiri in Kozhikode. She has a seven-year-old brother named Saurav.