Jay Unnithan aka JK didn’t grow up in a musical household. But somewhere between A R Rahman tracks on loop, old keyboards and hotel gigs, a composer began to take shape. Today, JK’s songs are catching on — from the peppy, feel-good Trishanku tracks to the punchy score of Maranamass. Excerpts from a quick chat:
Has music always been a part of you, or was it a chance stumbling?
I was around 12 when music really caught my attention. My dad sang well, but we didn’t have a musical background. It was A R Rahman’s tracks, especially Chandralekha, that got me hooked. My sister and her friends had it on loop. I thought, “Someday, maybe I will make music like that.” At 14, I joined keyboard classes, but didn’t have my own instrument. I practised at my neighbour’s place. In Class 10, I was picked for the school band. That boosted my confidence. Music soon became an integral part of my life.
When did music become something core to you?
Knowingly or unknowingly, music always stayed with me. I pursued engineering. By third year, I was performing in hotels, backing a singer. After graduation, I moved to Mumbai for a job but got frustrated. I quit and joined a music school. That might’ve seemed like an odd move, but it was a turning point. Subsequently, I was asked to join as a faculty member. Soon, I started performing in clubs across Mumbai and even played for artists such as Shaan, KK, Jonita Gandhi, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Shankar Mahadevan. As the shows picked up, I left teaching. A part of me always wanted to compose. So, I began reaching out to composers, taught myself the technical side, bought gear, and built a home setup. In many ways, I am a self-taught composer.
How did you land your debut project, Trishanku?
Technically, Trishanku was not my debut. It was just the first to be released. Between 2018 and ’19, while juggling shows and ad jingles, I met Vishnu Shyamaprasad, son of director Shyamaprasad. He narrated a film, I sent a sample, and got on board. That film, however, is yet to be released. Later, Vishnu produced Trishanku and brought me in. I began working on it in 2021, but it was released in 2023 due to Covid delays. That downtime helped. With shows and ads paused, I had space to experiment. I had no studio experience or team — Trishanku was my solo production.
And then came Maranamass. How did that happen?
The director (Sivaprasad) and I had collaborated on an ad project, and discussed doing a film together. Soon after, he reached out for Maranamass. Within a month, we started composing. That project taught me how to manage a team.
The Trishanku tracks had a unique sound — mysterious, ambiguous, a little playful...
Each song demanded a different level of thought and creativity. Noolamala became the standout track, but interestingly, it wasn’t part of the original plan. I took the beats of Noolamala to form a love song because the film initially didn’t have one. The producers later felt one was needed. What I had worked on was initially rejected. Then Vishnu suggested turning the beats into a travel song instead. I sat down with lyricist Manu Manjith and director Achyuth. Manu came up with the line ‘veedum koodum naadum vitte’, since the character in the film elopes.
I sang the line with the tune and they liked it immediately. Later, instead of ‘veedum koodum naadum’, I suggested ‘noolamala paalam pole’. That clicked. We had the full song in 30 minutes. I genuinely believe that magic happens when a composer and lyricist sit together. It doesn’t feel like you are creating something — it feels born. I love the lyrics of ‘Noolamala’. They took the tune to another level.
Were there any musical references that helped shape the album?
Yes, one strong reference was Nucleya. Dapper Mama was initially inspired by his sound. But I was in an experimental phase and ended up shaping it into something uniquely mine. The track eventually evolved into something very different and, in many ways, more beautiful.
Your music tends to have a cheeky, vibrant energy. What draws you to that?
It’s the story. Maranamass and Trishanku had quirky narratives, which influenced the sound. But my unreleased debut had a completely different tone — moody and romantic. The script always shapes the sound.
There’s a perception that fun tracks are easier to make. What’s your take?
I find them harder. Emotional or soulful melodies come naturally to me. Fun tracks require stripping things down… taking the soul out and keeping it playful. That’s more challenging for me.
Do you want to explore other genres?
Definitely. I don’t want to take a break from high-energy tracks, but I want to balance them with other styles. I am particularly drawn to romance. Not just romantic love, but romanticising anything: nature, places, ideas.
What kind of music do you usually listen to?
It’s a wide mix. My comfort music includes A R Rahman, Vidyasagar, and a lot of old Malayalam and Hindi songs. I also love tracks by James Blake, the French band Air, and jazz pianist Robert Glasper.
What’s your creative process like?
I have a routine. I usually compose during the first half of the day. If things don’t click, I take a break, step out, relax, and try to snap out of it. That helps reset my mind. Of course, there are days when even after a break, nothing comes. Often, tunes come out of nowhere — even in my sleep or mid-conversation. On most days, I wake up with a melody in my head. If it sounds appealing, I hum it, try playing it on the guitar, and record it on my phone.
How does your process differ while making a background score?
Scoring is an entirely different game. I build a sound universe using core themes for characters or sequences, and design textures around that. Maranamass is a spoofy film, and there were sequences where I had to step out of the general soundscape I had created. The ‘mass’ factor in the film is a spoof of several big commercial films. We wanted to evoke that emotion but also make it humorous. So we borrowed familiar elements from iconic ‘mass movie’ scores and superimposed them into our world. For example, in Basil Joseph’s intro scene, we used a track called ‘Skibidi Who?’ which had lyrics that sound like a slokah.
In several mass films, a slokah is often played to elevate the hero’s presence, but here, we used that element to create a fun, ironic take on the trope.
When it comes to musical design, how do you pick your instruments and vocals?
It starts with understanding the story. Maranamass had a more in-your-face quirk, so the music was louder and synth-heavy, while Trishanku, a rom-com, had softer sounds. Vocals are often intuitive. For ‘Dapper Mama’, I had Jonita Gandhi in mind, and she was perfect. For ‘Chillu Nee’, we explored several voices, but Rakhooo (Rakhil Shoukath Ali Rajesh) fit best.
These days, many songs are designed with a web hook in mind, to make them trend on Instagram or other online platforms. What’s your take on this approach?
At times, it can hamper organic creativity. But at the same time, one is catering to a majority audience who now tend to enjoy these hooks more than full songs. I find it a bit of a struggle because I am more comfortable creating songs with a conventional structure, whether there’s a hook or not. But sometimes, we have to go with what the team needs. If they want a hook-based song to promote the film, then I try to find a middle ground — where I can create a hook that I genuinely enjoy, something that feels right. I have started appreciating hooks in other people’s music, too. For instance, Aavesham had some great hooks, and Romancham, too, especially the song ‘Adaranjalikal’. Even Dabzee’s indie tracks have some brilliant ones.
What are your upcoming projects?
I am composing a track for the upcoming film Lokah Chapter One: Chandra starring Tovino Thomas, Kalyali Priyadarshan, and Naslen. It will have a celebratory vibe to it. Benny Dayal, J’mymah and Pranavam Sasi are part of it. Vinayak Sasikumar has written the lyrics. The working title of the song is ‘Dark Fantasy’. I am also working on some independent tracks with interesting collabs.