Making a career out of whistling, which is probably not even considered a profession, is what makes Swetha Suresh one of a kind. Popularly known as the ‘Whistling Queen’ in the Indian Whistling Association, she now stands as the first female whistler in the country and is also in the number one position in Asia.
Her passion for whistling is drawn from her admiration of flutes. Her Carnatic vocal training helps, as she has got so far without a trainer. Listening to Swetha hit high notes while she whistles songs, one realises that it’s nothing like the casual whistling one might have tried. Swetha says, “Being complimented by people like S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Chithra amma and Susheela amma are unforgettable experiences. When S.P.B. sir gave me a standing ovation, I felt extremely humbled.”
Swetha whistled her way into the Limca Book of Records , Asia, India and Tamil Nadu for whistling continuously for 18 hours. One requires absolute control ofbreath to do so, and Swetha trains hard for that. Along with pranayama and jogging, she also whistles while she runs on the treadmill for gaining breath control.
She has lent her skill for quite a number of Kollywood film songs. A few notable ones are ‘Verasa Pogayile’ from Jilla, ‘Yennada Yennada’ from Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam and ‘Paravaiya Parakkurom’ from Kayal . The theme music of Pokkiri Raja was also her whistling, as she has for Vikram Prabhu’s upcoming movie Wagah.
Being selected to represent India in the World Whistling competition to be held in Japan in June, this 24-year-old Chennai girl is confident that she will win. As a professional Bharathanatyam dancer, Swetha wishes to dance as she performs. She says, “Getting an opportunity to showcase our culture is very rare. I have always wanted to represent our nation and when I get the chance to do that, I want to deliver the best.”
She dreams of starting a whistling school in Chennai to popularise the art, as there continue to be several misconceptions about it. “There are many institutions for whistling in the western countries. There are many young people who aspire to go abroad just for this course. I will open a school for whistling in the future, for our people and for the growth of this art.”
