It's been exactly a decade since the pull of the Kannada film industry brought ace music director Gurukiran to the city, specifically Vijayanagar. “In 2001, I shifted from Mangalore to Bangalore,” says the flamboyant composer, adding “the work was happening here.”
But it isn't as if the music director of the recently-released Srimathi readily agreed to the relocation. “Initially, I had an attachment to Mangalore, that's why I scored music for the first three or four movies in Mangalore itself,” he says.
Gurukiran and his family stay in their modest bungalow, which the musician says he modified to his tastes. “It's a small place where I am able to do whatever I wanted. I've built a small gym as well,” he says. “It's a cosy place and not too noisy.”
With over 60 movies scored in his career spanning 12 years, Gurukiran is best known for his original soundtracks in Kannada blockbusters such as A , Kutumba , Apthamitra and Upendra . The year 2005 was the most musically prolific for Gurukiran, as he churned out chart hits in films such as Autoshankar , Jogi and Namma Basava . But the director does not have any favourites. “Every movie is enjoyable,” he declares, adding, “The entire process of song writing and composing is interesting from start to end.”
Gurukiran lights up with enthusiasm when he talks about what music means to him: “It's a day-to-day job that involves passion.” The prospect of creating a fresh tune is a “new experience” every time.
Of 150 Kannada movies released last year, Gurukiran provided the score for two of them — Aptharakshaka and Mylari , both of which had a successful run at the box office. We will be seeing more of him this year as Gurukiran promises us that a “few more movies” are due for release in 2011.
