CHENNAI : An artistic synergy is a colourful reaction, especially when two creative forces join hands to capture the inexorable energy of a team like Chennai Super Kings. Composer Sean Roldan and singer-lyricist Arunraja Kamaraj recently joined forces to create a CSK fan anthem for IPL 2024, for Coke Studio. Titled Roar-A Yethu, the song also featured the vocals of Vijay Sethupathi, along with Sean and Arunraja. “The song was initially titled Rage-A Kaatu,” says Arunraja before explaining why they chose not to go with that title. “We thought it was too aggressive for a song that is supposed to capture the spirit of the sport and of a team like CSK. Chennai fans are known to exhibit the most sportsmanship compared to any other fans in the world. Roar-A Yethu is a grand celebration of CSK fans and their energy.” But how does one capture energy?
As a society that is constantly inundated by films and its culture, we understand how a film song is composed. There is a scene, an underlying emotion, and an intent for the music. How does someone compose a song for an abstract idea like ‘the energy of a team’? Sean tries deconstructing the process. “For a team anthem, you have to think like a fan and capture the spirit of cricket. When you watch your favourite team play, it brings out a childish glee; when they win or lose, it leaves an emotional impact. This is the emotion we tried to capture.” On creating the song together, Sean reveals how Arunraja’s lyrics for the song were conceived before the tunes and how there was a conscious effort to add more ‘Madras slang’ to the song like ‘adikkira whistle-u satham arala vidum merala vidum’. As Sean and Arunraja recount moments from their collaboration, it dawns upon them how the year 2024 marks an interesting milestone in their respective careers.
It was ten years ago, in 2014, when Arunraja Kamaraj debuted as a singer with the song ‘Ding Dong’ in Jigarthanda, for which he also wrote the lyrics. It was also the year when Sean Rolden made his mark as a film composer, with back-to-back releases like Mundasupatti, Sathuranga Vettai, Aadama Jaichomada, and Vaayai Moodi Pesavum. Reflecting upon his decade-long journey, Arunraja says, “Even though direction is my primary passion, my identity as a lyricist was the first one to earn me recognition in the film industry. That happened with the song ‘Rathiri’ in Pizza. And then I was recognised as an actor, singer, and director. I stay true to all these identities. And I think I do that by giving my maximum effort, to both the craft and the people I collaborate with. I hold a strong belief that the people who trust me enough to collaborate are my strongest assets. I’m happy that I have been consistent with my efforts for all these years.”
‘We have glorified Ilaiyaraaja enough’
Sean Roldan interjects to remind Arunraja how 2014 was also the year they first met each other. “It was during a party with all the cast and crew of Pizza,” says Sean. He then playfully adds, “I didn’t know who Arunraja was back then. He kept talking about the ‘Rathiri’ song for a long time and then only in the end he tells me he wrote it.” They both break out into laughter. Arunraja then goes on to reveal how their bond evolved over the years. “I was an assistant director back then and after I finished my first story I narrated it to Sean first. He even composed four songs for the film, which is yet to be made.”
“We had a lot of fun during those times,” says Sean. “We used to hang out a lot in Bessy beach and in Santhosh’s (Narayanan) studio.” However, it was also a chaotic yet memorable year for Sean. “It was a period of transition for me. I had just gotten married back then. Thankfully, all the films that were released that year performed well but then I got choosy after that. My earlier films were mostly light-hearted but then I made a conscious decision to move towards films with heavier themes. That’s when Joker happened. It is an important film in my career, and so are films like Power Paandi, Jai Bhim, and Good Night. I am proud of my choice of films in this past decade.”
Sean reveals that his most important takeaway from the last ten years is that a creative job demands you remove the boundaries between your personal life and your profession. “This is not a 9-5 job, it takes you close to the heart of the people. So here, you cannot say you won’t work after a certain hour.” But when the chaotic all-consuming passion of an artist meets the constraints of capitalism, it sometimes leads to controversies like the recent feud between composer Santhosh Narayanan and the record label Maaja, regarding the song ‘Enjoy Enjaami’. As someone who is a big proponent of independent music, Sean questions the very definition of indie music in India.
“Indie music is an individual’s effort to talk to the world. It springs out of an individual’s effort to bring their own idea of music to the audience. But individualism is not supported enough in our country. If you need to sell a song, if you need to attract a crowd, a lot is required here. That is when record labels step in and this collaboration between artists and a studio is not easy to achieve.” Arunraja adds, “There is a notion that every non-film song is an indie song, which is not the case.”
Sean continues, “Santhosh’s (Narayanan) efforts to create a label to support independent artists is a welcome effort. It makes independent music creation a sustainable profession, something you can live off of. At the same time, indie music should not be constrained within the boundaries of an artist-record label collaboration alone. I know many musicians who perform in small villages. They don’t seek out these labels, they don’t perform for money, but they are also independent musicians. Lately, this genre has become a fashion statement.” He then addresses the vilification of record labels in this debate. “If a label wants to invest in an artist for three years then the artist should also give the label the same amount of time because, at the end of the day, they are the ones who are going to push you.”
Sean’s palpable passion for independent music is only rivalled by his love for veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja. It was recently announced that Dhanush will portray the legendary musician in a biopic directed by Arun Matheswaran. On his hopes for the film, Sean says, “I don’t want them to portray Raaja sir as a God; an inimitable, untouchable God. I think we have glorified him enough. He is the God of music here and there is no debate about that but if we truly want to understand him, we need to look at him from different angles. This is the story of a great musician, this is not a function to celebrate his success.” The composer goes on to validate his opinion by pointing out how young musicians are hesitant to study Ilaiyaraaja today because he is made out to be an icon. “I learned a lot by observing him,” says Sean. “Composing music is a chaotic process but when you pay attention to his songs, you see how he adds depth, nuance, and intricacy, with the painstaking precision of a sculptor. This needs to be studied and I hope the biopic inspires the next Ilaiyaraaja.”