A rustic Vasuki Vaibhav

This actor started his journey at just six years of age travelling the state as part of theatre troupes. Now aged 24, he is probably the youngest music composer in the Kannada film industry. Vasuki Vaibhav, who makes his debut as a composer for Rama Rama Re... speaks exclusively with Bengaluru Chronicle, sharing his musical journey, his ambitions and much more.

“I have been pursuing theatre since childhood — I was six-years-old when I began being associated with Kannada theatre, travelling throughout the country performing plays in various capacities. I met Satya Prakash, while I was working for the renowned film director T S Nagabharana. Later, we continued when Satya started his debut venture Rama Rama Re...,” says Vasuki.

The composer feels that all the five songs in his debut film as an independent composer are completely rustic and unconventional, even as they narrate the story well. There is jazz, folk, and even Marathi tamasha treatment in the songs which are getting a good response for Vauski in Rama Rama Ree...

He got involved in all forms of theatre, — especially acting and music. Doing theatre, one experiences every element that goes into the making. I am also learning Hindustani from my guru Ananth Bhagawat, and have later worked with composers such as K Kalyan, Anoop Seelin, and Raghu Dixit. I worked for them as a chorus singer, track singer and even penned lyrics for their projects,” adds Vasuki. It was his father K Jayaram, a theatre personality on the technical side (stage designing, lighting), that inspired him as a child. “However, my mother still feels worried about my filmi journey,” he smiles.

Vasuki feels that theatre has always been his power bank, and it has taught him a lot, even helping him experiment. “A book is transformed into play and a play is transformed into a film. Eventually, the ethics of the book makes one stronger. Theatre helped me analyse, and moulded me as a person, and explored my intellect. A person with a theatre background is different to being a composer, and I feel that my perspective is little different thanks to my theatre background,” he add.

An MA in Journalism from Bangalore University, Vasuki is getting offers though he is yet to finalise. He has so far penned lyrics for Raghu Dixit’s next Happy New Year venture. The young composer wants to do good tasteful music, and desires to work on his Indian style of compositions, while stressing on notes from folk and other similar forms, rather than depending heavily on the Western style of music.

In Rama Rama Re... renowned singer Sangeetha Katti, has sung a folk song along with Ananya Bhat, and others including Vasuki, singing two songs. Vauski also teaches school children the value of good music and acting, and conducts workshops at a private school in Bengaluru.