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Gopi Sundar | |
|---|---|
 Gopi Sundar in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1977-05-30)30 May 1977 (age 47) Kochi,Kerala, India |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | www |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Film score,World music,Electronic |
Gopi Sundar C. S. (born 30 May 1977) is an Indianmusic director,programmer,playback singer,songwriter,actor and performer who works in theMalayalam,Telugu andTamil film industries.[1]
He began his career composing music for television commercials and is credited with writing nearly 5,000jingles.[2] As akeyboardist, he has collaborated with many music directors, including the composer duoVishal–Shekhar. He has won several accolades for his soundtracks and film scores, including aNational Film Award, aKerala State Film Award, and twoFilmfare Awards South.[2]
In 2014, Sundar started his own recording label, Gopi Sundar Music Company with an idea to promote aspiring musicians and to make low-budget productions possible.[3] In 2016, he formed a live performancemusic band called "Band Big G" inDubai.[4] In 2017, his work in the filmPulimurugan was included in the contender list for the90th Academy Awards nominations forBest Original Song andBest Original Score categories.[5][6]
Gopi Sundar C.S. was born on 30 May 1977 InKochi,Kerala. He spent a large part of his childhood inKochi with his parents Suresh Babu and Livi. His early interest in music started from working in his father's recording studio business and listening to the radio with his mother. During school days, Sundar was keener on playing thetabla andkeyboard than studying. Eventually, when he dropped out of school after failing hisSSLC exams,[7] his parents were supportive enough to let him pursue his dreams. Keen to make a career in music, he left forChennai, where he took up classes at the Government Music College, but discontinued the course, feeling disillusioned.[2]
His father, Suresh, helped him get into the music troupe of Malayalam composerOuseppachan.Ouseppachan, a longtime friend of Sundar's father, took him as an assistant and became a mentor to Sundar. While on the team, Sundar worked his way up, playingtabla andkeyboard, and was soon noticed for his composing skills as well. In an association that spanned more than a decade, Sundar assisted Ouseppachan with several works.[2][8]
In the years that Sundar spent inChennai, he struggled to find a foothold in the music industry. His first exposure to professional music came in the form of composingjingles for TV commercials. In those difficult days, his uncleDevan, an actor-politician in Malayalam films, helped him get a roof over his head. Sudheer Kariat, son of the legendary Malayalam filmmakerRamu Kariat, showed him the ropes of how to stand out in the fast lane of advertising. In the world of the catchy jingle music of advertising, it took him seven years to create a niche for himself. His ever-growing repertoire consists of almost 5,000 jingles, a number of them advertising the work of filmmaker and feature filmcinematographerRajiv Menon.[2][9][10] He has also done keyboard programming for theBollywood music director duoVishal–Shekhar, including for popular songs like "Ek Main Aur Ek Tu Hai" (Bluffmaster!), "Aankhon mein teri" (Om Shanti Om), and music forTaxi No. 9211.[11]
Sundar got his first break as afilm score composer withNotebook after the directorRosshan Andrrews happened to notice his programming for the filmUdayananu Tharam.[12][13] The eventual success of the film catapulted him into the mainstream, withSibi Malayil offering him the first contract forsoundtrack composition for the Malayalam filmFlash, starringMohanlal. The turning point in his career was the filmBig B, which was the debut feature of not only the directorAmal Neerad but also a host of technicians includingSameer Thahir,Vivek Harshan, andUnni R. Although the film, which starredMammooty, opened to mixed reviews, it was lauded for its technical finesse and for providing a film experience that was altogether new to theMalayalam cinema.[14] Sundar's background score, which blended aptly with the tone of the film, escalated his popularity amongst theMalayali film audiences.[15]Big B marked the beginning of Sundar's long-term association withAmal Neerad.[16]
In 2008, Sundar made hisTamil film industry debut by composing the background score for the filmPoi Solla Porom. He then went on to compose songs for several films, notably the filmSagar Alias Jackie Reloaded (2009) starringMohanlal, which had him compose both the soundtrack and film score. Despite the film being panned by critics and audiences alike, the songs were an instant hit.[17] The first major award came his way for the filmAnwar in 2010, for which he received theFilmfare Award for Best Music Director.[18]
Casanovva (2012), a Malayalam romantic-thriller film, saw him reunite withRosshan Andrrews. He shared music credits withAlphons Joseph and Gowri Lakshmi for the soundtrack. Although the audio rights were acquired bySatyam Audios at a record price of ₹12 million (US$190,000), the film had a disappointing run at the box office.[19] His next major work that year was forAnwar Rasheed's filmUstad Hotel. The film won wide critical acclaim and was a commercial success. The film's five-song soundtrack went on to become one of his most popular soundtrack albums and received rave reviews from critics, audiences, and his contemporaries alike.[17] "Appangalembadum", a quirky reworking of a popular but traditionalMappilappattu song crooned byAnna Katharina Valayil, was an instant hit following its radio release and eventually became one of the biggest hits of the year.[17] It got him the year'sFilmfare Award,Asianet Film Awards,SIIMA, and Kochi Times Awards for Best Music Direction, and a Pearl Award for Best Background Score.Music directorBijibal, picked the film score ofUstad Hotel as his favourite when asked to pick "the best contemporary background score of his choice".[20]
In 2013, he sang a melody called "Titli", tuned byVishal–Shekhar along withChinmayi andSrimathumitha, for the Bollywood filmChennai Express. TheRohit Shetty film, which also starredShah Rukh Khan andDeepika Padukone, turned out to be one of thehighest-grossing Indian films of all time.[11] Sundar's subsequent films found commercial success, including theDulquer Salmaan vehicleABCD: American Born Confused Desi,Left Right Left,5 Sundarikal,Vishuddhan, andSalalah Mobiles. WithSalalah Mobiles, he made his acting debut, with a cameo appearance as aqawwali singer in the song "Rasoolallah".[21] His fame increased with the release of his 2014 film titled1983, acoming-of-age sports drama film, marking the debut of screenwriter-directorAbrid Shine. The film, a tribute to cricketerSachin Tendulkar, was the first successful film of 2014. The soundtrack of the film was also a success, and the track "Olanjali Kuruvi", sung byP.Jayachandran andVani Jayaram, was a "chartbuster".[22] "For maintaining the tempo of the film with an in-sync background score", Sundar received theNational Film Award for Best Background Score from thePresident of India,Pranab Mukherjee, atVigyan Bhavan,New Delhi.[23]
Amongst a string of films he tuned, the classical fusion single "Sadaa Paalaya" sung bySithara for the filmMr.Fraud, aced the charts.[24] He also made a cameo appearance in the film, alongsideMohanlal.[25] The filmHow Old Are You?, which marked the comeback of Malayalam film actressManju Warrier after a 14-year sabbatical, was his next major project. The film went on to become a success, and the soundtrack was equally appreciated by the audience. "Vijanathayil", a lilting melody from the film sung byShreya Ghoshal, was a huge hit that won her theBest Female Playback Singer Award at the 62nd AnnualFilmfare Awards.[24][26]
Bangalore Days, a romantic comedy-drama film directed byAnjali Menon, featuring an ensemble cast of the top Malayalam actors, was his next release. The five-song soundtrack was a success and has turned out to contain his most-liked tracks.[27] He received aFilmfare Award for Best Music Director, anAsianet Film Award for Best Music Director, and aVanitha Film Award for Best Music Director for the film. Also, the single "Ethu Kari Raavilum" from the film earnedHaricharan aFilmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer.
In September, Sundar did his first live concert at Swapnanagari,Kozhikode. The musical event, organised by theFilm Employees Federation of Kerala, the Music Directors Union, and the D Cutz Film Company, was the first of a series of concerts that saw eight composers coming together for the first time to raise funds for theCochin Haneefa Foundation, which helps struggling film artists.[28] The concert series, titledJamgraab, was made up of the first letters of the names of the eight music directors involved:Jassie Gift,Alphons Joseph,Mejo Joseph, Gopi Sundar,Rahul Raj,Anil Johnson,Afzal Yusuf, andBijibal. Following a tremendous response from the music fans, they held a second gig in February 2015 atSharjah Cricket Stadium, which was to be followed by a world tour across the cities in the US, UK and Australia in coming years.[29]
Sundar forayed into theTelugu film industry with the filmMalli Malli Idi Rani Roju, which fetched him many fans in Telangana andAndhra Pradesh. He further expanded his reach with his second Telugu film,Bhale Bhale Magadivoy, which was a success at the box office; the soundtrack amassed equally good reviews.[30] Deepu Joseph ofThe Times of India gave the soundtrack album 3.5 out of 5 stars and called it an album that "has something in it for everyone and it sure to be a hit".[31][32] The success earned him a nomination for the Best Music Director Telugu award at the 2016SIIMA Awards.
Ennu Ninte Moideen, where he collaborated with M. Jayachandran andRamesh Narayan in music direction, was his next. He did the background score and composed the song "Mukkathe Penne", a poignant melody that served as a paean to the timeless love of Moideen and Kanchanamala, portrayed in the film by actorsPrithviraj Sukumaran andParvathy, respectively. The lyrics to the minute song were penned byMohammed Maqbool Mansoor, one of Sundar's main backing vocalists. The song was written and composed in less than five minutes, and they sang it themselves. .[33] The film was a success at the box office and was equally appreciated by the critics for adapting a real-life story "without compromising on the aesthetics of the medium".[34] For "creating a haunting melodic composition", his collaborator,M. Jayachandran, received aNational Film Award for Best Music Direction. His compositions for the filmCharlie also went on to become a hit, and the single "Chundari Penne", crooned byDulquer Salmaan, received wide recognition.[35] He won two Best Music Director Awards for the film: one North American Film Award and one IIFA Award.[36][37]
In 2016, Sundar composed the film score and seven-song soundtrack of the Telugu filmOopiri, which was simultaneously released in Tamil asThozha. The film, which starred South SuperstarAkkineni Nagarjuna andKarthi, was a commercial success, grossing over ₹1 billion (US$14.5 million) worldwide.The Times of India gaveOopiri's soundtrack four stars, calling it a "winner on all counts and Gopi Sundar is increasingly becoming a force to be reckoned with inTollywood".[38] Sundar composed the soundtrack and film score for the filmPulimurugan, which is currently thehighest-grossing film in the Malayalam film industry.The Times of India's critic Sanjith Surendran praised Sundar's "rousing theme music that made the 161-minute runtime a breeze".[39] The two songs ("Kaadanayum Kaalchilambe" and "Maanathe Maarikurumbe") and the film score ofPulimurugan were selected by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to contend in the90th Academy Awards nominations forBest Original Song andBest Original Score categories. IncludingPulimurugan, a total of 70 original songs and 141 original scores were selected in that year.[5][6] He won a Best Music Director award for the film from theAsiavision Awards, whileK.S Chitra won the Best Female Singer Award for the song "Kaadaniyum Kalchilambe", along with aSouth Indian International Movie Award for Best Playback Singer Female.[40][41]Vani Jairam won the Best Female Singer award for the song "Manathe Marikurumbe" from the same film.[42]
Sundar composed the background score for the Tamilmusicalcomedy horror filmDevi, which was simultaneously shot and released inTelugu andHindi asAbhinetri andTutak Tutak Tutiya, respectively. ForPremam, the Telugu remake of theMalayalam film of the same name he collaborated withRajesh Murugesan, the music director of the original Malayalam film. The film received positive reviews upon release in Telangana.[43] Behindwoods lauded the soundtrack album for "staying true to the original, yet exploring better nuances of music".[44] Sundar composed the only two songs for theMammootty vehicleThe Great Father (2017).[45]Comrade in America, a Malayalam romantic comedy film, saw him reunite with his long-time collaborator,Amal Neerad. The three-song soundtrack, of which two songs were sung by the actorDulquar Salmaan, was released under Sundar's record label, Gopi Sundar Music Company.[46] The single "Adiga Adiga" from the Telugu filmNinnu Kori, which was released in July was a hit.[47] Having finished working onRole Models,Tiyaan,Chunkzz, andUdaharanam Sujatha, which garnered good response,[48] his upcoming projects includeKammara Sambhavam andKayamkulam Kochunni. He won his firstKerala State Film Award for Best Background Music in 2017 for the filmTake Off, and his song "Vaanamakalunnuvo" from the filmVimaanam gotSithara her secondKerala State Film Award for Best Singer. His songs from the movieGeetha Govindam also received praise. His latest music work is present in the upcoming filmAmala directed by Nishad Ebrahim and Mascot Productions.
Sundar has been the most frequent collaborator for films directed byRosshan Andrrews. He has also frequently associated withAmal Neerad,Arun Kumar Aravind,Vysakh, along with screenwriter duoBobby–Sanjay,Udayakrishna-Siby K. Thomas andMurali Gopy.[49] Most of the lyrics for the songs composed by him are penned byRafeeq Ahamed. However, he has also collaborated extensively with lyricists Santhosh Varma and B.K Harinarayanan.[49]
Gopi Sundar launched "Band Big G", his music band, in 2016 in front of a capacity crowd at Al Nasr Leisureland,Dubai. The band is a live performance music band with a revolving quota ofvocalists andinstrumentalists, with Sundar as the only permanent member. The types of songs are decided depending on the audience and the event. The first gig consisted of an ensemble of Malayalam singersAfsal,Sithara,Najim Arshad,Haricharan,Divya S. Menon, Ramsi, Kavya Ajit, andSruthi Lakshmi{phanivardhan}. They played a fusion compilation of Sundar's compositions along with old Malayalam classics.[4][50]
Sunsa Digital Workstation is Sundar's musicrecording studio. It is a state-of-the-art studio primarily located inChennai, which is used by Sundar for recording his compositions. Sundar opened his second studio in Kochi.[51] The recording studio was featured inDiscovery Channel's TV ShowIndia My Way in 2017. As a part of the all-India tour for their programme, the hosts – model-turned-actor Paloma Monappa andMeeraj – visited the place while the song recording for the filmComrade in America was in progress. The show also featuresAmal Neerad,Dulquer Salmaan, and Sundar himself giving insights into the new wave ofMalayalam cinema.[52]
Gopi Sundar launched his own record label, Gopi Sundar Music Company, in 2014.[3] The label aims to support aspiring filmmakers and promising low-budget films by producing the music while retaining the copyrights of the work. It also looks to provide creative and talented artists with a platform for independent music creation and licensing.[53] The soundtrack album for the Malayalam filmLast Supper was the first to be released under the aegis of the label, followed by several films, withComrade in America being the latest.[54][55]
Gopi Sundar married Priya in 2001 and the couple have two children: Madhav (2002) and Yadhav (2004).[56] Priya and Sundar got separated and their divorce case is still in court. Sundar entered in alive-in relationship with singerAbhaya Hiranmayi, and in July 2018, he revealed that they had been together for 9 years.[57] He was also reported to have dated Idea Star Singer contestant Amrutha Suresh, with claims suggesting that the couple was in a live-in relationship. However, both of them have denied these reports.
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Mr. Fraud | Himself | Malayalam | Cameo in the song "Khuda" |
| 2014 | Salala Mobiles | Qawwali Singer | Cameo in the song "Rasaoolallah"sal | |
| 2015 | Mili | Himself | Special appearance in the song "Manpaatha" |
| Year | Show | Role | Language | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Bol Baby Bol Malayalam | Judge | Malayalam | Surya TV | Reality singing show |
| 2015 | Music India Malayalam | Judge | Asianet | Reality singing show | |
| 2016 | Shajahanum Pareekuttiyum | Himself | |||
| 2019–2020 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Keralam'' | Judge | Zee Keralam | Reality singing show | |
| 2020 | Kaiyethum Doorathu | Music director | Title song | ||
| 2020 | Naga Bhairavi | Music director | Telugu | Zee Telugu | Title song |
| 2020 | Karthika Deepam | Music director | Malayalam | Zee Keralam | Title song |
| 2021–Present | Sing N Win season 2 | Judge | Flowers USA | Online reality singing show | |
| 2021–Present | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil champs | Judge | Zee Keralam | Reality siniging show |
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