Music is a blessing, says Sachin Warrier

Sachin Warrier has become a household name in South India today, thanks to his melodious voice, which has helped him make an impact on Mollywood.

The techie-turned playback singer is now close to realising his dream of becoming a music composer with his debut film Aanandam, which will release on October 21.

The audio jukebox of Aanandam has already gone viral since it was released online last month and Warrier is already on cloud nine as we catch up with him for a free-wheeling conversation.

Excerpts from the interview

You are becoming an independent music director through Aanandam. That is a dream come true moment, isn't it?
Absolutely. I have always been fascinated by the whole process of making music, and I have been trying to explore it in small ways. Right from the time when I was a child, I liked the idea of being in a studio, working with all the equipment, musicians, and everything that comes with it. Of course, I had absolutely no clue if it would all become a reality, but I'm so glad it's all falling into place.

How did this journey happen? From a singer to a music composer?
For about two years, I had been composing ad jingles, in addition to singing. I found myself being really satisfied with the idea of making simple and happy music. I was also thinking of making music independently, to talk about themes and ideas that I'm influenced by. Aanandam’s Director, Ganesh Raj of course knew about all this, because we are friends and we hang out regularly. It was around the same time that he was gathering ideas and thoughts for his first film. He told me about the characters he had in mind and their world. The discussion of me making music for it happened one day out of the blue, and I instantly said yes, because his film had the exact be musical vibe that fascinated me. I wasn't sure if I had it in me to pull this off, because making music for a film is a huge responsibility. Shaan Rahman and Vineeth Sreenivasan were there at the right moment, as always, to help me with that decision.

Did you have some tunes in mind before Aanandam happened? Or it just came by as you heard the story of Aanandam?
Right after the first discussion with Ganesh, we started talking about what the music of Aanandam should sound like. We listened to a lot of music, watched a lot of films and tried to learn what it is that makes music work. The initial discussions were mostly about what genres and styles of music our film should have. I started composing little pieces of music, while he started writing the script. A lot of ideas changed from the initial discussions, a lot of it stayed the same. So yes, all the tunes for Aanandam were created after the characters and their world was established.

How challenging it is to compose music for films?
I found it to be the most challenging thing I've done in my life so far, but also the most satisfying. It's been such a huge learning experience, right from managing workflow, like sorting and arranging all the project files, to the actual music production. It's a lot like solving a puzzle. Till the moment you crack it, it's sometimes daunting. But you just know it when it fits. There's a lot more to learn, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Your association with Vineeth Sreenivasan goes back to many years. Now that he is the producer of Aanandam, how was the experience working with him?
When Ganesh started working on the script, there was no plan for Vineeth producing it. But he has seen every version of the script, and has known every detail about how it's shaping up, because he's someone who has always been a mentor to us. It was when the script was almost in its final stages that he decided to become the producer, after a discussion with Vinod Shornur, the producer of Oru Vadakkan Selfie, who has also been a huge support to our journey. Working with Vineeth ettan is an incredibly positive experience all the time. He has heard every version of the songs in the film, and has supported us all through. Some portions in the background of the score of the film are basically a result of jamming with him, with the scene playing in the background. It's inspiring, to say the least, to have someone, who pushes you in the right way, exactly when you need it.

Ganesh Raj is your close friend. How was your chemistry while working with him for Aanandam?
A lot of the discussions for this film happened when we were casually hanging out or travelling together. So in a way, working on this together was an extension of what we do anyway. There was one particular moment during the scripting when things were not shaping up as we had planned. That was also the time I had finished recording my single, 'Naam'. Ganesh, Anend (the cinematographer) and I went on an impromptu trip to Hampi and Gokarana to shoot the video of the song. The places we saw, and the people we met on the trip, gave us enough fresh perspective to come back and work on the script. Also, Ganesh is someone who knows the feel of music really well. He can specifically point out what's working and what's not, in the tunes or pieces I compose. Brutal honesty is also a huge benefit when working with friends. I must also add that working on this film has given me so many new friends too.