The minute you mention Selvaraghavan, Yuvan Shankar Raja’s face lights up. The duo has worked in a few superhit films, including Kaadhal Kondein , 7G Rainbow Colony and Pudhupettai , and has a secret recipe for success. “Selva usually plays a reference track that has no connection with the situation he has created. It’ll trigger me to think something new, and we’ll engage in a creative discussion.”
That has given Tamil audiences some memorable melodies that remain popular even a decade of their release. They’re teaming up again for Suriya’s NGK – a film that will release later this year – but Yuvan’s focus now is on Pyaar Prema Kaadhal , which released a couple of days ago to positive feedback. It is special for him not just because he’s the film’s composer, but also because he’s produced this romantic flick starring Bigg Boss fame Harish Kalyan and Raiza Wilson. In an interview, he tells Metroplus about music, movies and more:
How unhappy are you when someone says ‘Yuvan is back’ after hearing an album?
(smiles) I don’t get annoyed. I took a break in the past and now, all I can say is, I’m here to stay.
But the fact remains that you did go on a hiatus, doing lesser number of films than before. Why did you take that break?
I felt like everything about me, both my music and lifestyle, was getting monotonous. So, I decided not to accept many movies and went off the grid for a while. That made a lot of people think that I’d be quitting music. But I feel that if I hadn’t taken that break, I wouldn’t have been where I am now.
It’s during that time that many new composers burst into the scene. What went through your mind then?
I was happy doing my own thing. I was relaxed and wasn’t thinking about anything.
What phase in your career do you consider the best?
The time when everyone around me was doing well. During 2007-2009, when people like Simbu, Selva, Ram, Ameer, Vishnuvardhan were all doing good hit films and I was associated with them.
You work well with people you’re close friends with...
Actually, it all boils down to the script. If I like the storyline and the genre, I say: let’s travel together.
Did you have some sort of reluctance in going beyond your usual set of friends?
I’ve had no restrictions. Pyar Prema Kaadhal , my production, was with a new director.
You’re well-known for your love songs. How difficult is it to come up with a new tune for similar boy-meets-girl situations?
The only criteria I have is that it should not resemble a track that I’ve done previously. And then, the tune just happens. My inspirations are from the long drives and the new people I meet. It can be anything; even the conversation we’re having now might spark off an idea. I also like frequenting malls, going to the beach and be one with society.
What happens when you run out of musical ideas?
There have been times like that. Say, for instance, when my mind is set on an intense script, like an action-thriller, but I’m required to do a love song. Those days, it’s a little hard. I listen to a lot of music then – or I shut off completely – to get that inspiration. I sometimes spend an entire week on a track, especially because I do different versions of the same number before I pick the best of the lot.
The music of PPK and Peranbu is being praised, with people describing it to be in the ‘Yuvan zone’. What do you musically define as the Yuvan zone?
I think I’m a versatile composer. I can do a Paruthiveeran , Chennai 600028 , Billa and also a Paiyaa .
What do you find most inspiring about your dad (Ilaiyaraaja) and AR Rahman?
I like my dad’s dedication and love towards music. Even today, he’s still learning, and that is very inspiring. With Rahman, I like how he took Tamil music to a different set of audiences and gave it world recognition.
The independent scene is picking up, with even film composers trying out numbers. Would you like to do one as well?
I have always wanted to do a musical tribute to the loss of many lives in the Sri Lankan issue. I cannot create an awareness, but I wish to document what happened. I have been toying with this thought for three years now, and I hope to do that sometime soon.
