AI brings late singer Bhavatharini’s voice back in Vijay’s new movie

CHENNAI: With the recent release of the second single, ‘Chinna Chinna Kangal’ from Vijay’s The Greatest of All Time, film audiences have been treated to a double delight with the song featuring both the voices of Vijay and late singer Bhavatharini. Composer Yuvan Shankar Raja and director Venkat Prabhu employed innovative AI technology from Pitch Innovations, the company that also brought back the voices of Bamba Bakiya and Shahul Hameed for the ‘Thimiri Yezhuda’ song in Lal Salaam. Notably, TR Krishna Chetan, CEO of Pitch Innovations, reveals they created an AI voice model of Bamba Bakiya even before AI became mainstream.

For ‘Chinna Chinna Kangal,’ Krishna says recreating Bhavatharini’s voice required specific recordings. “As we are doing a studio-quality AI model, we need original tracks of the singer’s voice recording, without any sound editing such as reverb or EQ,” he explains regarding the first step for the model. “We need the singer’s voice in different pitches, and multiple styles, such as a happy or sad song,” he adds.

Krishna further elaborates on the process: “The model also requires a singer to sing a track version of the song, for it to be replicated in the desired singer’s voice.” He reveals, “Priyanka NK sang the track version,” adding that she was informed beforehand that her voice would be replaced with the AI voice of Bhavatharini. Composers have often received flak for the ethical implications and problems that AI technology comes with. On the conversation around AI and ethics, Krishna says, “Today, the AI models of top Hindi singers are readily available online, and it is being used by many illegally. We ensure to do only projects that follow ethics. We ensure that the composer or producer has rights to the artists’ voice and that the singer who is being used is paid for the same.”