You seem to have joined the big league?
( Laughs ) After Vaagai Sooda Vaa ’s success, I heard from several people that Kamal Haasan liked my music. I refused to believe it. Eventually, when Vairamuthu told me the same thing, I knew it had to be true. After Kutti Puli , Kamal asked me to meet him in New Delhi with my composing equipment. Soon after, he wanted me to compose a song for Vishwaroopam 2 . By the end of that day, I had a song ready. It was the biggest film I’d signed until then. I also came back with the assurance that the tune would be used without further approvals. This is in stark contrast to several other films where my tunes were vetted by actors and producers. So, that came as a relief.
You went on to score the music for Uttama Villain and Papanasam as well.
It took me three-four months to compose the songs for Vishwaroopam 2 . Kamal introduced me to Ramesh Aravind as his next film’s ( Uttama Villain ) director and began narrating its story. I guessed I’d been chosen as the composer. Of the three, this film offers me the most scope, and the music is just so intrinsic to the plot. Meanwhile, I signed Papanasam and have already composed the two songs in it. Just the BGM remains.
What do you believe prompted him to choose you for all of his upcoming projects?
I’m not sure. If I were to take a guess, I’d say he probably liked how I am at home both with Indian classical and Western classical. Also, I try to remember that in this industry, we are all as good as our last hit.
Does the pressure to deliver a hit constantly play on your mind? Do you find yourself dumbing down your music a bit to ensure it reaches everybody?
Thankfully, so far, I’ve only worked with directors who are concerned more about their films and the music than about its reception. I have made a conscious decision to suspend thoughts about a track’s reception during its formative stages. Hence, I don’t feel that pressure.
‘Chillendra Chillendra’ from Thirumanam Enum Nikkah , for example, was criticised for being too raga-oriented. However, if there’s something I’ve learnt from Kamal during the last year and a half, it is that artists must neither try to overemphasise their intelligence nor play to the field with their work. Just do what comes naturally.
You had earlier mentioned that a lot depended on the commercial success of Amara Kaaviyam .
I thought the film’s failure would affect me badly. But it didn’t, even though it came as a rude shock. I must have matured, I guess.
You have admitted to listening to A. R. Rahman and Santhosh Narayanan extensively. Do you consciously try to create an identity for your music, so that it stands out in comparison to others’ work?
My style gets established automatically without my conscious effort. As I said, I don’t want to overemphasise it. In a way, I’m grateful to God for helping me sustain in this industry. I doubt any other composer has survived as many flops during the initial phases of his career as I have.
I find that many of our films don’t utilise silence well. Why is that?
Because we are worried that somebody from the audience may make a comment and ruin the ambience for the others! It’s a serious problem, one that all of us are paranoid about. When there is silence in a scene, the director or the producer can be heard saying, “Could you add some music there? We don’t want somebody to crack a joke in the theatre.” We are used to noisy processions, loud marriages and the cacophony of Pondy Bazaar. Silence isn’t something we like.
As Rajinikanth says in Baashha , “ Nammaalu pesalanaa sethuduvaan ” (our man will die if he stops talking).
( Laughs ) Exactly. This is why we try to keep the audience occupied with background music, sometimes even in situations where we wish we didn’t have to.
Has the disappearance of audio CDs hurt musicians like you?
Not particularly. YouTube has stepped in to fill that void. Every visit a company’s page gets makes revenue. It’s all about views and downloads now. So, thankfully, music continues to make money.
This is perhaps why we need our staple diet of five songs?
Sure. It’s also about marketing. More songs, more publicity. TV channels, for example, provide free publicity by playing them. An audio launch acts as a precursor to a film’s release.
Coming back to Papanasam , why are there only two songs in it?
That is enough, as you will see. The original, Drishyam, did just fine with minimal songs. The real challenge is the film’s background score.
Did you get influenced by the music you heard in the original?
Ten minutes into the film, I forgot to pay attention to the music and found myself invested in the story. So, I was able to look at it as a new project as far as the music is concerned.
You have spoken about the lows you experienced during your childhood. Does that help keep you level-headed?
Definitely. I have seen the highs and lows of life very early. We were wealthy and before we knew it, we were fighting for survival. Such experiences help keep me grounded.
You have composed thousands of ad jingles. How different is composing for cinema?
In advertisements, we are forced to maintain a happy tone. Films give me a lot more freedom and allow me to express my emotions. My ambition is to become an independent composer and release my own albums. I hope that the exposure I get from films will help me achieve this dream.
