All of 22, and five films old in his three-year career, Anirudh Ravichander has had a whirlwind tour of showbiz, seen the highs and lows of being a young celebrity in the age of social media.
One moment, the whole country — nay, the world — was singing a silly song he and Dhanush came up with because someone leaked it. He was famous overnight. He was amused especially because he knew his debut album 3 had better songs than ‘Why This Kolaveri’.
In about a year, he also saw the ugly side of the viral culture. An old photograph of him with his ex-girlfriend was leaked. He was infamous overnight. Barely 20 then, he was scared to open the newspapers. He changed his phone number and left town for a few days, unsure of how to react to this media frenzy.
But he quietly kept doing what he did best. Music.
More songs — like ‘Chennai City Gangster’ — began to go viral until a non-film single ‘Aint Nobody F***ing With My Music’ got him into trouble with the culture police. He went underground again, pulled down the single and focused on his work.
“YouTube is the reason I’m here,” he says.
We caught up with Anirudh when he was in the middle of scoring for Maan Karate a week before the release of the film (the film releases today). He had already composed the score on his computer, written the notes for the conductor and was here for the recording with musicians.
Powering through three days and three nights with no sleep and just energy drinks, the young music director was instructing musicians who had more experience than his age. They were only more than happy to do the retakes because they could see his passion for live music.
“Luckily, I have been able to do live music right from my first film because we had the budget for it,” says Anirudh taking a break between sessions. “Having been part of a band, I connect with the live scene. It’s a divine experience fusing technology with live music. Computer music doesn’t cost anything. But I am not here for the money. You don’t get this experience without live music. Which is why I don’t want to do many films at a time. I take it slow.”
Anirudh remembers the first day he went to record live with musicians. He was 19 years old. “They didn’t know I was the music director. They were asking who is this school kid? I had to record with a strings orchestra of 60-70 people who were probably mocking me. But thankfully, that freak thing happened and because of ‘…Kolaveri’ — not like it’s a great masterpiece — they started taking me seriously.”
“I wasn’t trained. But I did learn the piano from an early age and I finished all the grades offered by Trinity College. But once I got into films, I started learning Carnatic music as well. I am still learning,” Anirudh reveals.
All he wanted to be was a music director for at least a B-grade film. “By 30. But I became a music director 11 years before that, thanks to Dhanush. I had done music for the short films he had done ( 3 was based on one of them) and he had more confidence in me,” he recalls.
How does he make his music?
“First, it happens on a computer. It’s a lonely process. Then my band mates work with me at the studio. I used to be part of the Carnatic fusion band in school. I have no cinema people with me. So my band mates tell me when it’s bad. I continue to hang out with the same 4-5 guys from school. After the first album became a big hit, it was pure fear of expectations that I had to live up to, that made me take it slow.”
“Right from my sixth grade, I have made it a practice to record at least one song a day for myself… many random songs, like that single that was banned,” he laughs. “But I live with it for a few days, take time to think and come back to it after a week to see if it works. I only give it to the director after I am convinced it works.”
Back in the day, Ilaiyaraaja composed some of his greatest hits in a matter of minutes. Directors who have seen the maestro first hand have been zapped. “I don’t know how he does it. 3 took me one-and-a-half months. I need at least a month with the score, though this time I have barely got a week. I find scores more creatively satisfying than songs. When I did Selva’s Irandam Ulagam , people asked me why I did just the score. There’s no competition in music. I am just following my passion and glad that I am successful.”
Anirudh picks projects based on comfort factor and equation with the makers and the freedom he gets.
“When they leave me alone, it makes me to want to do even better. I am glad I got to do a tragedy in 3 , a comedy in Ethir Neechal , a rom com in Vanakkam Chennai . VIP ( Velai Ila Pattathaari) is a realistic film and Maan Karate is a fantasy. I have got to try different genres and my next is for Vijay’s next Kaththi directed by A.R. Murugadoss. I have done something new but we have to keep the Vijay fans in mind as well.”
Has he grown up too early?
“I am still a kid for my parents. They keep checks on me. I get busted like most kids my age do. I go out on Saturday nights, once in two weeks. I don’t have a girlfriend right now and wish I had. Because, when you are in a relationship, every fight inspires you,” he laughs.
That reminds us of the theme of Rockstar . That every musician needs pain to create. But Anirudh is in a happy space.
“I am happy where I am. I am happy my music is doing well. Maan Karate climbed up to India No.1 on iTunes overtaking even Hindi films. It’s still on No. 2. I’m glad people have started paying for music. I just want to thank everyone,” says Anirudh.
Journey From Bands to Films
Zinx – Carnatic Fusion Band, PSBB
Circuit – Funk Rock Band, Loyola College
3 – Debut film featuring ‘Why This Kolaveri’
Ethir Neechal
Vanakkam Chennai
Irandam Ulagam (background score)
Velai Ila Pattathaari
Maan Karate
Kaththi (Upcoming Vijay film)
