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This Navaratri was very special for Yuvan Shankar Raja. After all, the busy music composer got to spend some time with his family. “We celebrate Navaratri in a grand way; several singers come to our house and we have beautiful musical evenings. So, during those days, I stopped working by 6 pm and rushed home,” begins Yuvan.
He has more than a dozen projects in his hand, but Yuvan says he’s got it all worked out. “I usually work on two projects at a time. Now, I’m working on Vaanam and Mankatha,” he says.
Despite Vaanam being a remake of the Telugu hit Vedham, Yuvan says he hasn’t retained any tunes from the original. “Each character in Vaanam, be it Simbu or Anushka or Vega and Bharath, has a song and every song belongs to a different genre,” he says, “Usually, filmmakers release the album to promote the film. But, we will be launching a teaser promo and just a song from Vaanam to endorse the music album, which will be released later. Simbu and I have each sung a song for the teaser promo.” He adds, “I’m currently working on a single track for Vaanam and it will be on the lines of a futuristic club mix.”
Yuvan has also started work on Venkat Prabhu’s Mankatha. “There will be six songs in the film and I’ve composed tunes for five of them. We are yet to have a sitting with the lyricists and finalise on who will be singing which song,” he reveals.
For Yuvan, Mankatha is special for various reasons. “I’ve already done four films with Ajith and I want our fifth film to be a huge hit. In fact, Ajith had called me earlier to say that our combination in this film should work wonders at the BO. So, I’m taking extra care while composing.”
Revealing details of the album, he says, “Appa (maestro Ilaiyaraaja) and I are planning to sing a pathos number for the album. While appa will be singing in Tamil, I will be singing the English lyrics.”
Yuvan has also finished work on Bala’s Avan Ivan and Ameer’s Aadhi Bhagavan. “A full-fledged Hindi track, sung by Mohit Chauhan (of Masakkali… fame), will be the highlight of Aadhi Bhagavan,” he adds.
Yuvan will also be making his Bollywood debut soon with Mani Ratnam’s production. “Though I’d composed a single track for Siddharth’s Striker, this film will be my proper Bollywood debut. The film, directed by Mani Ratam’s associate Shivakumar, has Vivek Oberoi in the lead,” he says.
While Yuvan’s film graph is soaring, he’s also excited about his first live concert in Chennai on December 18. “I’m thrilled beyond words. I’ve done concerts internationally, but the experience of performing in my home city is just inexplicable. I will be altering the BGM or adding a few more keys to the songs. For instance, I’m planning to perform the remixed version of Oru Naal… from Pudupettai. This will be an experience of a lifetime,” he signs off.
