'Celluloid' is set in the 1930s. During the decade, the folk-classical genre seems to have been in vogue. It didn't take much effort to compose because my guru Neyyattinkara Mohanachandran and his guru, M. M. Dandapani Desikar, used to sing this genre.
M. Jayachandran
The society has an obligation to protect younger generation and prevent them from the use of tobacco products.
Ramesh Vinayakam is a maestro music composer and a dear friend, too.
Be it flute, piano or any instrument, there would always be a reason to bring in the particular feel into a song.
I am familiar with the Odiyan legend, as my mother used to tell me that her grandmother would narrate the Odiyan tales while she grew up in Palakkad.
In any art, unpredictability is the delightful factor.
'Kilikal Parannatho' sung by Rajesh Krishnan, who sung 'Julie I Love You' in 'Chattakari,' is a personal favourite of mine.
Every song has a mood, a situation and a different kind of score.
Usually people like experimental music which is usually not the case in Carnatic classical concerts.
Usually all lullabies are featured on a mother and child. But in 'Kalimannu,' it is picturised on a mother-to-be who is singing to her unborn child. I found the entire concept so beautiful.
For me, music is God and each song I make is an offering at the temple of music.
If a singer wants to improvise while recording a song, he has to get the permission of the composer.
My work is music. That's why I could set to tune a song such as 'Kathirunnu Kathirunnu.'
What really surprised me was that we had released the song 'Kondoram'... without any video and it still garnered so many views. The song had only lyrics and no visuals.
In the past 20 years of musical journey, what I realized is that one need to respect their teachers, elders and parents and their blessings are more than enough for one to reach success. I believe it as my success mantra.
Acting is not at all my forte.
Music is my passion and career.
I always try to look for variety in my work.
Vijayalakshmi is one artiste whom I admire. There is something divine about her singing.
Actors are given songs that suit their voice and skill. At the same time, those songs which have a complicated tune and need expertise to perform should be given to trained singers.
It's alright to make an actor sing if the director already has an ideal sequence in his film. But I am totally against bringing in actors to sing in every film without any context and just for marketing purposes.
Times are such that poetry has been slowly drifting away from our songs and the language of conversation is used a lot more as lyrics. I believe such attempts create mundane songs, and they hardly stand the test of time.
It's very important that your work reaches people and it is marketed professionally and guarded well against piracy. For all of those reasons, I take into account the credibility of the team I work with.
I don't know anything about politics or lobbying in the film world.
I pick voices suitable for a particular song rendition and for that, it doesn't matter where they hail from.
I think the reason composers aren't valued is because many act as servants rather than music directors. Instead of taking a stand based on their convictions, they sway to the opinions of others.
But it can be tough for new composers as directors tend to block you out.
Any composer needs opportunities, but now these chances are based on personal relationships, and not on talent alone. For that, you must keep calling directors and keep them happy. So, PR plays a major part now, more than talent or success.
The songs of Raghavan Master are timeless. There are a lot of things that a student of music has to learn from them. He expressed his thoughts not through words, but music.
Singing these days has become a mechanical exercise for many, and mostly this is because song situations that require effort from the heart are rare to come by.
Educational institutions, which are the grooming grounds for creating responsible citizens have to be kept tobacco and smoke-free.
The increased use of cigarettes and tobacco products among youth is worrying. Starting with cigarettes and tobacco, youngsters are soon lured into use of drugs.
