Composing music for new age genres is not an easy task because the composer needs to have awareness on many new genres along with an impressive fusion of them. The composer should be adept in creating a whole new sound altogether which is trendy as well as melodious. One such brilliant talent who gave two good albums this year namely Kshanam and Guntur Talkies is none other than Sri Charan. This young composer is on a roll with nearly seven back to back projects in which Sumanth’s Vicky Donor remake is one of them. Here is an iQlik exclusive chitchat with the music director:
Hello Sri Charan garu..
Hi..
Please tell us about your musical background..
It all began in my hometown Vizag where I used to play with my friends and we formed a band. I play rhythm and lead guitar and was learning then.I began my tenure with Heavy Metal and then drifted to Classic Rock under the name Echo. But later, I toned down to classic fusion with a band named Yuga. But after my tabla player and vocalist left abroad for further studies, the band was called off.
Well, does Vizag has such band culture? It seems to be quite low profile.
There used to be much band culture but it faded away with time. But again, it bounced back after we started working for bands. It was challenging to get band crowd who could appreciate our kind of music which would appeal to only certain section of audience. So, yes! Vizag definitely has the distinguished music taste. In fact, one of my friends band was featured in Rolling Stone- as the best emerging band.
Did you make any own compositions from this stage?
Yes there were many compositions I did at this stage. Being in a band has its advantages because there is lot of freedom in implementing what I feel like. We were consistently performing on stage and play in Park Hotel, Vizag. That place is quite special to me.
How did you edge towards movies from this?
I was scoring for short films and documentaries on social awareness and it was quite low profile. Friends used to make films with a handycam and I used to score with whatever equipment I had. I never dreamt it would become big as we did it for fun. Ravikanth Perepu, the director of Kshanam happens to be my friend’s younger brother. He brought a short film and asked me to score music. That’s how our journey began. A friend of mine named Sekhar used to do documentaries on street children and I worked extensively with him too. I shared a great sync with Ravikanth and then I got into touch with Adivi Sesh and worked for a short film called Kiss. A big feature film was in plan and they wanted new composers where I pitched in.
Did you have your own band arrangements for films?
Not at all. My band was gone totally by then because I am unable to contribute my time and that’s why I decided to move away. A band needs lot of discipline and punctuality and I came out for its good. I felt scoring for feature film is a bigger leap for my music career.
How was the music composing experience? Is it better than band?
Both are two different ballgames. In band, it is the band members who decide what should be performed or the result depends on our comfort zone. But for a film song to be approved, I need to impress not just the director but also the producer and the crew. This is entirely more challenging and gives a chance to reinvent my abilities.
Your working experience for Kshanam?
I took little longer time to compose for Kshanam because the film needed peculiar score. It is somewhat away from regular style of composing. I wanted to give good standard but we had to work in shoestring budget. The real catch was to provide great result in the limitations. It was definitely hard work but it was worth it.
Musical influences?
I am someone who listens to not just film music but also many international genres. Because of my band background, I listen to Classic Rock extensively and that it is a biggest influence. In film composers, I draw inspiration from Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, AR Rahman, Devi Sri Prasad and have a special admiration for Mani Sharma’s background music capabilities.
Kshanam indeed had fusion aspect to it. Is the band culture one reason?
True. Because of my band roots, lot of mixed influences would lead to such fresh sound.
[To be continued in Part 2..]