Sinjith Yerramilli is the brain behind the recent hit song Katyayani, that’s trending on social media. We have listened to the song a million times and have been making memes out of them. As the movie Little Hearts has gained widespread popularity, its songs have been much loved by the audience. Sinjith, the main force behind the film’s music, speaks to CE about the fun he had creating the music for Little Hearts and walks us through the process behind it.
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Can you tell us how Little Hearts happened?
Basically Mouli, Akshay (Lagusani) and I have been living in the same apartment for the past four years. Akshay is also an actor and was in a series called Hostel Days. Our director Marthand reached out to him for a love story that had been delayed for sometime. Meanwhile, Marthand met Mouli and pitched the story of Little Hearts. He said it was about a teenage love story and thought it would suit Mouli well. From there, Mouli pitched the story to the producer, and it was approved.
How did you end up creating the music for Little Hearts?
I read the script two or three times and could relate to it a lot because it reminded me of my own teenage days. The director wanted a sad breakup song, but I thought it should have a touch of dark humor rather than being purely sad. When we started jamming, I came up with the tune and began singing lines like ‘Katyayani Bonchesava, Ore Akhil Edi Emi Pata Ra’. The inspiration came from a lot of Disney films like Rapunzel and Barbie, where characters burst into song, almost like mini-musicals. Even in Coco, the lead character sings as part of the story. I wanted to treat Little Hearts as a proper musical, and that’s how the idea for the songs came about.
What was the process like while creating the songs?
Marthand almost became like a new flatmate — whenever he was free, he would come over, and we’d just chill and brainstorm ideas. I’m personally very attached to this project, not just because Mouli is my friend, but because I really loved the script. We all became like a family. The director is one of my best friends, and that camaraderie made the film and music come together so well. I honestly feel art has no purpose without collaboration. It shouldn’t be formal — the whole process was completely informal, and that’s what made it special.
Tell us about your personal and professional bond with Mouli?
It was great. He was very involved in the lyrics and sometimes disagreed with a few of my song ideas, while I was adamant about some choices. We had a few small clashes, but everything got resolved. That’s because I had the liberty to say anything to him, and he could do the same with me. He was deeply involved throughout the entire process, which made the collaboration stronger.
How did the music for Little Hearts come together so quickly?
The magic of this collaboration was that I managed to finish the entire score in just nine days — and that was possible because I knew exactly what needed to happen. The director had complete clarity about which song would fit in each scene and which background music should be used. That made the process quick and smooth. Initially, the movie was slated to release on September 12, but was preponed to September 5, so we had almost no time. Despite the tight schedule, everything came together in those nine days.
Your favourite moment while scoring the film?
My best moments came from the camaraderie on set. Everyone, including DOP Suriya Balaji, was very close, and whenever Marthand was busy, Suriya would join me while I worked on the background score. I remember showing the last scene to everyone, and we all teared up watching it with the music. The visuals were brilliant, and combined with the score, it was an incredibly emotional moment that gave me a lot of confidence.
Can you take us through whether there were any disagreements on set?
Marthand and I are like Tom and Jerry — we fight a lot! Outside of work, we’re best friends, but during the creative process, we can be very naughty and stubborn. We had disagreements, sometimes stopping talking for two or three hours before texting again. I once sent him a message saying, ‘East or west, friendship is the best’ (laughs). The biggest clashes happened during the mixing stage — I layered a lot into the tracks, and in the end, he asked the mixing engineer to mute everything. Looking back, he was probably right!
What do the most intense work sessions look like?
For nine days we barely slept — maybe one or two hours on average. We’d go back home, grab a quick nap for two hours, and then return to the studio. During the last week, we hardly slept at all, and the final two days were a 48-hour marathon without sleep. It definitely took a toll on our health, but it was worth it.
Which compliment meant the most to you?
I’ve received many memorable compliments, but the one that really changed my life was a tweet from Mahesh Babu sir, giving me a special mention. I even framed it! Before that, compliments from my family and friends were meaningful, but that one stands at the top.
Future projects?
I’m currently working with Aarambham director Ajay on an action film starring Satyadev, and I’m really excited about it. I’ve been getting a lot of offers lately, but I want to pick projects wisely — working with a director who is sensible and friendly is very important to me.