Bengaluru musician Vishnu Ravindran
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Self-deprecatory humour and life lessons pour out of singer-songwriter Vishnu Ravindran in waves, which is rather unusual in one so young. Talking about the launch of his 26th single, ‘Ma Cherie’, the musician says, “My pronunciation may not placate the French, but I think I can convince people here that I’m pronouncing it right.”
“It means ‘my darling’, by the way,” he continues, adding it was suggested by his graphic designer and how his team found it amusing that he couldn’t enunciate it correctly either. In the run-up to the song’s launch, this inside joke played itself out on social media, poking good-humoured fun at Vishnu.
The song is a layered response to life, Vishnu says. “‘Ma Cherie’ is where I found myself as I was entering my 30s. I was under the assumption that the work ethic of my 20s where you push yourself to work hard and scarcely take breaks was fine. However, your body has a different point of view. You can no longer go 30 hours without sleep, sitting at a keyboard or strumming the guitar. It takes a toll on you.”
“Initially, I was dejected, but then I decided to take on a more positive approach, looking at this issue as an interesting creative puzzle to solve,” he says, adding, “When you try to jettison something that has worked all along, and try something new, it does not happen easily.”
In order to stay motivated, Vishnu asked himself what kept him invested in this act of creativity, and realised it was the Muse itself.
“Artistes are constantly searching for an other-worldly vibe that will elevate what they are creating. I felt this song should encapsulate that journey, helping people understand what an artist is preoccupied with or grappling with most of the time.”
Having said that, Vishnu admits there has never been one specific muse or source of inspiration for him. In a bid to explain his quest, he says, “It has to be imbibed with excellence. It has to make you dance in the mundane; it could be a person or culture or travel that makes you feel, ‘Wow! I didn’t know this was possible’. I believe that is the most important factor.”
Besides the epiphany that long, uninterrupted hours are not the way to go, Vishnu talks about the notion of how entertainment and fun are at loggerheads with “serious” art, music and literature.
Vishnu Ravindran
“A supposed trade off between the two does not exist. In this age of constant reels and shorts I would like to tell people it is a worthwhile journey to finish a book or learn an instrument, to work on something till you’re really good at it. We needn’t subscribe to the notion of this versus that; you can have both.”
Inconveniences or challenges are going to crop up in life one way or another, Vishnu says. “You might as well choose a path that will produce some meaning, talent or skill. I believe ‘Ma Cherie’ represents that part of an artiste’s journey as well.”
Ma Cherie by Vishnu Ravindran is available on all streaming platforms
Published – October 28, 2025 08:54 pm IST
