American R&B singer-songwriter Saleka Shyamalan, known mononymously as Saleka, stars in the psychological thriller Trap, which is now playing in cinemas. The film, directed by Saleka’s father — modern horror/ thriller master M. Night Shyamalan — follows a serial killer (played by Josh Hartnett) evading a police blockade while attending a concert with his daughter. Saleka, 28, plays Lady Raven, the pop star whose concert forms the core of the film’s action. Saleka has also composed 14 songs for the film. Over a video chat, t2 caught up with the petite Saleka on the Trap experience, being directed by her dad and the Indian influence in her music.

How does it feel being Saleka Shyamalan the actor after being Saleka the musician for so many years?

It does feel surreal. This whole experience is surreal. I can’t believe this idea has come into fruition and that people are going to see it in a few days.

How did the film happen? Did your father handpick you for the part?

For quite some time, we have been talking about wanting to create something that brought film and music together. It is something we were very inspired by... what it means to bring art forms together and to connect in this ultimate form with the audience. Bollywood movies are a big part of the culture of our family and so these two kind of art forms going hand in hand is something that is very natural to us.

Also, we have always loved films like Purple Rain where music
is sort of a storytelling device... it keeps you connected to both the music and the film in a very special way. That is what is unique to those types of films and we wanted to make our own version of that.

You have composed and sung 14 songs for Trap. What was that experience like and is there a common theme to the music of the film?

The script binds the music that I came up with for Trap. Sonically, I would say that it is very much me. It is definitely pop but I wanted to incorporate the darker elements and the suspense in the script into these songs... I call it ‘dark pop’ with a bit of Indian influence in it. It has a lot of R&B, some jazz in there... basically, it has all the things I love. I have incorporated them in all the songs, and so when you listen to the album, you will feel like it is actually one piece.

And then, within the movie, the songs are very much tied into the narrative... as you go along, every single song follows what is happening on the screen. Some of it is kind of foreshadowing in a way, some of it is right with Josh’s (Hartnett) character, Cooper, as he navigates this crazy trap that he finds himself in and all the emotions that come with that.

Some of the music connects to Lady Raven’s (her character) perspective or Riley’s (played by Ariel Donoghue) perspective, but it is all very intertwined and in the moment with the plot that plays out on screen.

How would you describe Lady Raven? She seems like this mysterious, almost mystical, character...

It was the most fun role ever! (Laughs) I got to sing the songs that I wrote, perform on stage, I got to dance.... It was definitely a challenge embodying Lady Raven. I took a lot of inspiration from artistes like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Rosalia... the kind of command their presence on stage has and the long-standing relationship that they have with their fans. They are so brave and competent....

Your dad directed you in a music video in 2021. What was it like being directed by him in a full-length feature film?

Oh my gosh! It was amazing! I have watched him direct my whole life... as kids, we were always on the sets of his films. We have watched him interact with actors. He is so good at directing every kind of actor. He loves working with children or first-time actors and, of course, actors like Josh Hartnett who have been acting for many, many years and and are incredible at what they do. For him, it is a very natural space to be in.

Trap ended up being a fun experience for all of us. Stepping into something like this was scary for me and made me vulnerable, but I felt protected by him. He always knows what he is doing and during rehearsals, we spent a lot of time going through the script... every single line, every single moment and where my character is at that moment. So much so that by the time I stepped on to the set, I felt confident and I knew that I had enough preparation behind me.

Has this experience made you taste blood, pun intended? After this, do you plan to embark on an acting career seriously?

I have definitely found a lot of love for it because this whole experience feels very connected to music in a way, or at least the things that I love about music, which is storytelling. Songwriting is what I love and especially writing for film and TV because you can find a connection to a character outside of yourself and create a story that is different but still you can feel something for that person. I think that is a beautiful thing. Playing a role in some ways is very similar to writing a part or performing a song. With Trap, I discovered another love.

What made you want to take up music as a career and while I assume there was a lot of cinema at home when you were growing up, was there also music?

Yes. I started taking music seriously from a very young age. My parents enrolled me in classical piano lessons when I was four. Art was always such a big deal in my household and it has always been treated with so much respect and considered to be a viable profession. It was treated with love and discipline.

I also had an incredible piano teacher who saw potential in me from a very young age and mentored me. She made me imbibe the feeling that either you have great respect for this art or not do it at all.

How much does Indian music impact and influence your sound?

It has always been an integral part of the music that I absorbed since I was very young and it definitely defines how I think about music in general, how I listen to music and what draws me in in terms
of production elements and textures. I like a lot of the Indian drum sounds and the tabla and I like incorporating it into my pop music. My music feels like pop but it also has interesting textures brought on by Indian, Middle-Eastern and South-Asian instruments. The melodies are also very haunting because they involve different scales. That has always been fun to play with.

In the music of Trap, I have incorporated sitar and flute elements, the sounds of which took me right back to my childhood... interesting, haunting and soulful. That is a great combination for the type of music that I love making.

Your father has made some seminal films in the supernatural/ thriller genre. Pick one film of his that you feel should be talked about more but isn’t.

I would pick Lady in the Water (2006, starring Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard). For me and my sisters, it was a bedtime story that he told us and then made into a movie. That was incredibly special. I was about eight when it came out and it made me feel that magic is real and it was fascinating to see that the story he had told us become a real thing.

It is a beautiful yet underrated movie which needs to be talked about more. It is a fantasy story that is so haunting, grounded and emotional.