Music director Sricharan Pakala shot to fame with ‘Kshanam’ in 2016. ‘Guntur Talkies’, ‘PSV Garuda Vega’, ‘Goodachari’, ‘Evaru’, ‘Krishna And His Leela’, ‘Naandhi’ and the recent ‘DJ Tillu’ remain his popular work. ‘Major’, to be released in theatres on June 3, is his first pan-Indian project. He talks about his background, his journey so far, getting to work with Adivi Sesh, what keeps him going, and more.
About Musical Influences
My mother is a non-professional singer who sings really well. I am a fan of Ghazals, old Telugu songs, etc. Multiple musical influences have helped me a great deal over the years.
About Getting Into The Films
I lost interest in my studies. I used to play sports while in Vizag. My parents noticed my losing interest in my studies. This is also when the music started interesting me. My brother happened to buy a guitar and I started playing it randomly. In due course of time, I started playing for hours at home and joined a band. I enjoyed playing at weddings and small events. For years together, I stuck to Western music as a guitarist. I started doing social awareness documentaries, among others. Eventually, I got into films.
About Journey With Adivi Sesh
Our journey has been crazy. It began with ‘KISS’ in 2013. I bagged ‘Kshanam’ because of my prior association with both Sesh and director Ravikanth Perepu. When ‘Major’ came my way, I was a bit shocked. It’s a multi-lingual project and the nature of the subject is not a routine one. I didn’t expect Sesh to pick a heavy subject like this one. The songs and the BGM have to be intact. Thankfully, the songs have received a very encouraging response.
About Songs In ‘Major’
The songs are as important as the background score. ‘Major’ is a layered movie packed with different tracks and ingredients. The composition style had to be unique, given the span. I am a fan of the ’90s music and I got to inject the music for the episodes set in the ’90s. It’s a biographical action film. It’s a dream come true to compose a biopic.
About Working For A Pan India Film
When you are doing a pan-Indian movie, it becomes tricky. The tunes have to be attuned to the language. So, the composition has to be different for each language. ‘Hrudayam’ has been sung by Sid Sriram in Telugu. I have chosen a different set of singers for the three languages (Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam) for each of the four songs. The choice of singers has to reflect the director’s vision.
About Producer Mahesh Babu
I haven’t got to interact with Mahesh Babu garu, who is one of the producers of ‘Major’, much. He appreciated me at the trailer launch event.
About Director Sashikiran Tikka
He doesn’t talk much. He is a cool filmmaker whose conviction is strong. His conceptualizations are clear.
About Working For Commercial Films
I like mass masala movies and comedies. But after ‘Kshanam’ became a hit, films like ‘PSV Garuda Vega’ and ‘Goodachari’ happened. I enjoyed doing ‘Pataas Pilla’ for ‘DJ Tillu’. I really like to compose such songs. After all, I have grown up listening to commercial songs and in a certain environment. I admire the music played by the likes of Ilaiyaraaja, AR Rahman, Mani Sharma. That’s why I hope to do all genres.
