Composer K is delighted to have worked with Manikandan on Aandavan Kattalai . “It is an experience I will always cherish,” he says. As many as nine songs are part of the album. “The number includes five bit songs too.
Each of the songs fits perfectly into the plot, just as Manikandan visualised,” he says. “As the film is about the travails of passport seekers, I’ve tried to bring that pathos into the music.”
K says that the mood of the film is perfectly reflected in the theme song, ‘Yaaro Petha Pillai’ by Anthony Dasan. “‘Vadagai Veedu’ is about the problems faced by those looking for a house to rent, and ‘Elandha Pazham’ about the joy of being in a village.” He’s also thrilled about ‘Vaazhkai Oru Ottagam’, a melody by Benny Dayal that, according to him, “has the smoothest transition.”
For the uninitiated, K made his debut in Mysskin’s Yuddham Sei, and is also a popular name in Malayalam cinema, following the success of Annayum Rasoolum. K says, “It convinced me that language isn’t a barrier for an artist. What matters is an understanding of the narrative, and an attempt to cater to the mood of the film.”
With promising composers descending into Tamil cinema every day, K admits that life isn’t too easy. “Composers like me are expected to deliver big each time. I’m trying to do that even while breaking what is considered to be conventional music.” K tries to bring in folk influences into his music. “I haven’t used too much carnatic music yet, as I’m slowly becoming familiar with it.”
K believes in team work. “I try to contribute to the film in every way. I give my directors lots of options for each track. When necessary, I’m also happy to pitch in as a singer.”
The composer has done only 15 films during the last five years. “I am slowly understanding the joy of being a part of meaningful films.” That’s why he’s against item numbers. “But I know I am well-known for my folk numbers, which cater to all sections of the audience,” he says. On being choosy with his films, K says he needs time to do justice to each film. “All my hard work could easily get undone with one bad film. I don’t want to be known as a one-film wonder.”
