“Let’s meet at my studio” composer Imman says and proceeds to send the address. ‘Imman Sound Factory’, it is called. There’s little wonder in naming his studio a ‘factory’; with 11 albums last year and eight releases so far this year, the name seems appropriate.
Working out of this nondescript studio at Virugambakkam, music director Imman has created a formidable body of work and the latest addition to it is Nenjil Thunivirundal, which reunites him with director Suseenthiran for a fifth time. In a candid chat, the prolific composer opens up about how life changed post Mynaa and why music is his only passion.
(laughs) No no, not at all. My only passion is music. But since January this year, I have been concentrating on my fitness. I was obese and I wanted to cut down because when we went for a blood check last December, I discovered that I was in the pre-diabetic stage. I weighed 117 kgs and it was high time I worked on my fitness.
So what’s your fitness routine like these days?
My diet contains a lot more protein and I’ve cut down on the use of cooking oil. I also do a lot of cardio.
It happens because of the vibe we share, along with the film’s success at the box office, of course. Actually, working back-to-back with the same director is a stressful job; you have to come up with something fresh every time. It’s the same when I work with stars like Sivakarthikeyan and Vijay Sethupathi. We have to deliver what the audiences are expecting. That’s how we build up our business as well.
I love the old-fashioned linear process of composing, like it was done in the 60s and 70s. I sit with my keyboard, with the director and lyricist, and discuss the situation… and that’s how all my tunes emanate.
Isn’t that time consuming?
It is. But I love it. I love the way a song blossoms. The first listener of the tune is always me, and that gives me a big high.
Does this mean that there’s no song bank?
I did have a bank of tunes earlier. But post Mynaa , things have changed.
That film marked a huge career jump for you. How have things changed since?
I was at the right place at the right time. I think that for any composer to click, he needs romance... just like an art director needs a period film to showcase his talent.
My big breakthrough happened thanks to Prabhu Solomon’s Mynaa.
You seem to have taken up a lot of projects in recent times. Are you a workaholic?
Yes, I am. I have cut down a bit though. Now I’m at the studio from 10 am to 10 pm and not more. But I really enjoy every single stage of composing.
Do you think taking on too many rural-based scripts has gotten you stereotyped?
At times, yes, I have been typecast. But I love having a regional identity in my songs. I want to deliver music that reflects the culture of our soil. At the same time, I want to break the rules and deliver songs like ‘Senthoora’ which is basically me, since I am a Chennai boy.
What is your system to gauge the success of a song? Does social media give you an understanding?
Social media is still very recent. But it was especially difficult to see if a song worked when I started out, back in 2001. Even radio stations were fewer so we had no idea what was happening to a song once it left the studio. But I devised a system for that. I would assume a song worked if I could hear it being played in a car or in an auto rickshaw at traffic signals. Now I just upload a song on YouTube and tweet about it. The response is instant.
Are you aware that your song ‘Un Melle Oru Kannu’ from Rajini Murugan, is currently the third most YouTubed Tamil song?
Yes I do. I get official updates from Sony Music. I do monitor that also.
Let’s say a song you have composed with a lot of effort becomes a part of a film that went unnoticed? How do you react to that situation?
Of course that keeps happening. It happened even with a song called ‘Yaenadi’ , which I had made with a lot of heart. But it was a part of an unnoticed film called Adhagappattathu Magajanangalay. Avid listeners know the song but it would have worked far better if it was a bigger film. On the whole, I just see it as a piece of work I did complete justice to, and move on. The moment the album is out, I try to detach myself from that zone.
You’re also entering the zone of a performer with concerts around the world?
That’s another reason why I went in for weight loss. I have done concerts in four countries in that past two years. I enjoy the show business and being on stage. Right from my school days in Don Bosco, the stage is where it all started. It takes me back to that time. It gives me a big high and it helps me in my future works as well.
Talking about the performer, will we be seeing more of Imman, the singer?
I like to see myself as a composer first and only then as a singer. Whenever a song is being sung by a newcomer and it goes on to become a hit, it becomes his livelihood. Even if I had sang the song, I’m happier being credited for its composing. When I sing, it is usually because a director insists.
Given the number of hits you have delivered, do you feel that you’ve not been celebrated enough?
Not at all. I think I’ve been given far more than I deserve.
When we talk about music, there’s always talk of how it is timeless. Which are your songs you think will last?
That is what I’ve been working for. I want to create songs that will last across time. I feel I have that will power to do it now. My vision is for FM stations to be playing my songs at night, even 50 years from now.
